The Herald's Protector
by Batcat1020
Summary: What if the Herald wasn't the only person to survive the blast? What if another hero was found in the ashes of the Sacred Temple? Read along as another Hero finds herself caught in the midst of war, love, and friendship that will alter her life forever. My first Fanfic so please go easy on me:) (Cullen and OC) M. Inquisitor, and the rest of our beloved gang.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

 _What the Void?_

My ears were ringing and the world swirled around me as I tried to get my bearings. My body ached and I couldn't help the pained cry that ripped through my scratchy throat. Coughing was painful too, but there was so much dust and dirt floating through the air I couldn't help it. Pain erupted through my ribs. Holding my side to stop the pain was a futile effort, but I tried anyway. _What in the Maker's name happened?_ Looking up I noticed something very different and a sense of dread filled me as I noticed something was very, very wrong with the scene before me. The Temple of Sacred Ashes, the home of the Most Holy, gone. I closed my eyes trying to wake up from this nightmare, but when I opened them it still was not there. The ground was still settling and I stood up woozily. What happened? Looking around the ground I was standing on I noticed the rubble around me. Large chunks of the Temple's walls scattered among stationary and scorched bodies of Templars, Mages and Clerics. I felt my heart sink at the sight. This had to be a nightmare, a horrible nightmare. Nothing so bad could happen! The Maker wouldn't allow it! Taking strides through the wreckage I looked for any sign of life. Nothing. That's when the thought hit me like a bolt of lightning. _How did I survive?_ In the middle of where the Main Hall used to be I cringed; I was getting closer to where the explosion took place. Looking at the ground I found much to my horror there were scorch marks of bodies around the floor. This was a massive explosion. I dropped to my knees sorrow clutching at my heart. There were good people in there. Important people as well. My body burn with agony and I held my arms around my midsection as I was racked with a silent sob. Suddenly, a bright green light burst right before my eyes and a person tumbled out. I stared at the green light noticing briefly that it almost looked like a door way. There was someone else though. A large golden figure had her hand held out, and then turned its head to me. Feeling myself freeze up at the golden creature noticing me I titled my head in question. It was amazing and terrifying.

"Who are you?" I asked very quietly my voice surprising me at how calm and serene it sounded. The golden figure looked back towards the figure on the ground before settling back on me.

" _Protect."_ The golden creature demanded in a calm voice. Confusion twisted a nauseating path through my mind as I tried to comprehend what the golden woman has said to me. I was about to question it when the green light and the golden figure blinked out of existence. Looking towards the person lying on the ground my mind leapt, was this person the one I was supposed to protect? Staring only for a moment I hesitantly and painfully crawled towards the figure in front of me. Grunting in pain from the sudden anguish that pulsed through my ribcage.

"Shit, that smarts." I groaned to myself as I rolled onto my side trying to see the persons face. It was a man, his frame was small, but masculine. His eyes were closed his hair mussed and he had dirt and grime caked onto his skin. Scanning him further I saw his clothes were in tatters, and there was something wrong with his hand. I reached out and grabbed it trying to get a better look when a green light burst from it. More out surprise than fear I jumped back my body screaming at me. _What the Void was that thing!?_ I tried to get up to get back to him, but I collapsed as my body gave into the pain, but I kept my eyes open trying to reach for the man. I'm not sure why exactly, but I was and it gave me a small bit of comfort in the midst of all this confusion and tragedy. That's when I heard voices and feet, 3 pairs to be exact. Whoever they were, they weren't going to hurt us. Well, any more than we were already. I flipped over when I heard the person closest to us stop and I could almost feel the person looming over top of me. Holding my dagger at the ready I grabbed the back of the person's neck. I snarled at the man that was staring at me with wide eyes and I faltered slightly, but didn't move the dagger from his Adams apple. "Who are you? What happened here!?" I demanded from him as I looked over him. He was quite handsome, too handsome. His lovely golden eyes, hair the color of wheat as the sun shone through the soft tresses, his thin lips and a sinful scar that peaked above his top lip. I kept my tight glare at him as he glared back, but didn't move.

"I could ask you the same thing, seeing how you and this man are the only two survivors of the explosion on the Conclave." My eyes widened slightly, that sounded a lot like an accusation. I held the dagger in place,

"I'll ask again. Who are you?" He glared back and I heard one of the men that was with him speak up,

"Commander, there's something wrong with the man's hand. I-It's green, and he looks like he's in pain." I growled and turned my head slightly to the young soldier next to the man who walked out of the green light.

"Step away from him!" I barked making the young recruit jump away at the animosity in my voice. I turned my head back to the golden eyed man.

"Search him, recruit." Anger lit in my eyes as I pressed the blade closer into his throat and his eyes narrowed at me. The blade bit at his skin, but not cutting. _Not yet anyway_. I barked orders again,

" _Recruit_ if you value your _Commanders_ life, step away from the man." Never taking my eyes off the Commander. "I wouldn't test me." I spoke darkly and the Commanders eyes flashed with something, something that looked a bit like sympathy. Biting back the snarl at the thought I kept my eyes level and the dagger dangerously poised at his Adam's apple. His eyes wavered as he regarded me and I felt my stomach lurch strangely. Like a twist, but it was too unfamiliar, I had no clue what it was. I felt pain erupt through my rib cage once again resonating through my chest like someone was banging it with a hammer or had been for hours. I gasped at the sudden angry flare up and I felt the dagger fall from my hand dropping to the ground harmlessly. I took quick labored breaths trying to ease the pain, but it was no use. Coughing I held my hand over my mouth and when I pulled away I caught a glimpse of red on my hand causing my eyes widened. The man who was now staring back down at me with wary eyes moved his hands making me seize up in preparation. Was he going to kill me? He was probably going to kill me. I mean, I did just threaten his life. He was still kneeling over me and I felt one of his hands on my rib cage and my eyes snapped to his which were inspecting me and I grabbed his wrist with a tight glare.

"Hands off, pretty boy." He gave me an exasperated expression and rolled his eyes at me, much to my amusement. Still keeping the tight glare on my face and the scowl on my lips I said, "Or, at least buy me dinner first." His gorgeous honey eyes widened and a blush speckled across his cheeks. His reaction made a grin split my face as he let out a small nervous laugh before clearing his throat.

"We need to get you to a healer, you're badly hurt. I believe you might've broken a rib or two." I grimaced and tried to pull myself up, but without any avail.

"Or all of them." I grumbled and he shook his head a small smile on his lips and I liked it. Damn it, Quinn you don't even know the man! Suddenly his hands were gingerly moving underneath my back and I hissed in pain when he picked me up. I felt like my body was going to explode with pain. Noticing my discomfort he muttered an apology shifting me a little trying to get me comfortable. I shook my head as I sunk into his embrace. He was so comfortable, and his smell…Maker be damned this man was dangerous. Holding onto him for dear life I found myself slipping away.

"Get the man to Haven, and make sure Seeker Pentaghast is made known of his arrival." The Commander commanded from the recruits and the two hurriedly picked him up. Trying to keep my eyes open was a hassle, but I had to do it. If I were to protect this green handed man than I'd have to stay awake. _Maybe I'll just take a quick nap._ "Hey, stay with me." The Commander murmured gently, _Damn it._ "We're almost there, and we still need to question you." Groaning partly from the pain as he lightly shifted me, and partly from his words. My chest ached and my lungs burned, but I wanted to know.

"Do you really think I did this?" I asked him looking for honesty from him and he looked down at me and I saw the war within him pass before his eyes. He shook his head and looked straight,

"I can't be sure." I groaned and stiffened when another cough burned at the back of my throat. "If you did, then you will suffer for committing such crimes. But, if you didn't and you are innocent then you have nothing to fear from anyone. Current party included." A laugh erupted from me before I could stop it and grimaced when it dissolved into a cough. His eyes snapped down to me looking me over before looking back up at the path in front of us.

"I agree. There were good people caught in that explosion. Whoever did do this will die, and I want to be there when it happens." My own voice surprised me, it was dark and scratchy and dripping with venom. He seemed to appreciate that and I felt weaker than ever as I felt my eye lids droop. The last thing I heard from him was his plea for me to stay awake. But, it was no use. I was already slipping away into an endless swirling darkness of unconsciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

 _Quietly I moved through the Treasury of the Conclave. Smirking at my own movements, I moved towards my objective. The Jewel of Marazeth. Here it was, the object that will set me up for years and it was lying in a room mostly unprotected. I felt my heart pound in my chest in anticipation as I grabbed the jewel from the stand. Smiling in victory I shoved the jewel gently into my knapsack and started to move back through the shadows to the glass ceiling I had come through. Suddenly the door opened and I shot behind the closest pillar and hid there. As I stood there I listened carefully. Light, purposeful steps as they approached me. I slipped around the other side of the pillar as the person walked by, probably a guard. Shit. I'd have to get rid of them before they could alert the others. Pulling the dagger from my belt I turned around the pillar and stopped when I saw a familiar figure. The Divine. My heart leapt in my throat, I certainly hadn't expected her to be here. What the Void was this? Why would she check out her own Treasury? She must've heard me because she turned to me as I quickly sheathed the dagger._

" _Oh, hello there." Her large intelligent eyes watched me with kindness and caution, but her tone sounded so sincere._

" _Uh, hi…Your Perfection, Ma'am." I murmured awkwardly as she eyed me with a soft smile._

" _You seem to know who I am, but who are you my Dear?" I shook my head and looked at the ceiling again calculating my options. I'd never make it off the grounds if she raised an alarm. "I see, maybe in due time you will tell me?" I nodded quickly feeling my own fear and confusion pounding through my veins. Why was she talking to me? I turned on my heel, but stopped. Why hasn't she raised an alarm? I'm sure she knows what I was about to do. I looked over my shoulder at her and pulled my lips into a tight frown._

" _Look if you're going to arrest me, can you just do it already?" I groaned as I held out my wrists, wishing she would just get it over with. She however made no move towards me or to call the guards. She just stood the patiently. I dropped my wrists and stared at her twitching a little at the gaze she was giving me. Ugh, she was making me itchy just being around her. She patiently began speaking again and I couldn't help but listen to her calm voice._

" _Can I tell you a story?" My eyes widened in shock,_ _ **what the Void was wrong with this woman?**_ _"It's about a rock and a peddler." I couldn't help but roll my eyes at her. No matter what I said she was going to tell this damned story. "There was once a peddler who went from town to town selling goods and buying them through other merchants. Through one town he came to he found a merchant selling gems other assortments. Now the peddler was an intelligent man and he searched through the gems and found a rock that was not particularly beautiful, but instead rather ordinary. He bought it and kept it with him; cleaning it and taking care of it. One day while he was traveling a young boy asked if he could see the rock. The Peddler agreed and handed the boy the stone and he inspected it the way all children do and asked the Peddler why he had a rock among his collection of beautiful items. The Peddler told him that he believed it was more than just a rock. The boy didn't understand this, but as he handed the stone back to the Peddler it fell from his hands and fell to the ground cracking the rock open as it hit the pebbled walkway. They both looked at the rock and they were both amazed." She stopped and my eyes widened at her and held out my hands for her to continue. She smirked at my reaction._

" _Well? What was in the rock?!" She chuckled lightly and gave me a warm look._

" _Inside this rock was the most beautiful gem they'd ever seen in their lives. No one had seen such a beautiful crystal before." She finished her story and I stared at her blankly where was she going with this?_

" _This….isn't that gem right?" I murmured as I pulled the gem out of my knapsack and I heard her heartily chuckle,_

" _No, my dear, merely a story." I exhaled heavily and dropped the hand that was holding the jewel. "But, the story does have significance here. I see great potential in you, and I know a lost soul when I see one._

" _Oh, no I know what this is. That story, you're trying to make it about me. You're a sneaky one, Divine." I glared poignantly at her, but she brushed it off her smile never wavering. "Thank you for not calling the guards on me, but I should be…going…" I started to back away and she nodded to me with the same smile._

" _Of course. Don't stay on my account." She started, and part of me just knew she had something else to say, but I turned to leave anyway stopping when I heard her speak up again. "The jewel you took, you can have it. It will be of good value, and you will want for nothing for a while. But, what happens when that runs out? Find another jewel to steal?" She pointed towards my knapsack, "You can steal that jewel or you can take what I offer you." I turned back to her, my interest peaked as she continued. "Work for me. You are a promising thief, and I am currently looking for a woman of your talents. I believe you could be someone great just…with the right guidance. You will never have to run again, and you will be protected." My heart was slamming in my chest and I stared at her in confusion once again. That seemed to be the theme of my features today._

" _You'd do that? For me?" My voice cracked, "B-But, I stole from you!" I almost cried out and she merely smiled calmly at me. Well at least now I know why they called her 'Divine'._

" _Yes, and I forgive you for that. I believe the Maker brought you here so that I could help you. He has a plan for us all, and he may have put you among this path to do great things in his name." I was in awe of her, she was forgiving me and taking me in? I felt my heart leap into my throat making it hard to breath. "I will however need that jewel back though." She said with an amused tone and I nodded quickly as I took the jewel from my knapsack. The choice playing over in my head once again. Hesitantly I placed it back on the pedestal and gave her a nervous smile._

" _Alright." I said to her and gave her a short smile, "When do I start?" The Divine smiled and waved her arm at me for me to follow her. I followed her out of the Treasury and –_ The world started to fall away as blinding white pain splintering through me forcing the memory to slip away. I felt a scream rip through my throat in agony. Dear Maker what fresh Void is this? The pain erupting through my right arm made my eyes flash open. Catching a mere glimpse of my arm I gasped at the sight. My right arm was engulfed in a green light. The same green light from when I found the man. I slammed my eyes closed again as I felt another scream tear a path through me, yet another wave of pain rolled over me. My whole body felt like a flock of druffalo were trampling over top of me.

"Dear Maker make it stop." I grunted a prayer in pain through gritted teeth. The pain stopped for a moment only to come back in another wave. I cried out again writhing as it coursed through me wracking me to the core. A cry beside me also sounded off and my eyes snapped open towards the person. It was the man from the Temple! I gasped and went to grab him, but noticed my hands were shackled. Staring at them incredulously at my bound hands, when had that happened? I saw a green aura emanating from my skin once again and I braced myself for the pain that was sure to come. His hand also lit up with a crackle. He cried out in pain making me jump. But I was soon in the same amount of pain he was in. Biting back a scream I dug my fingernails into my palms. Makers Balls it hurt so bad. I grunted as I bit my cheek to hold in scream that was itching to come out. It went away almost immediately and he relaxed as his hand lost the bright green energy at the same time my body did. His eyes turned to me and I gave him a short smile. He stared at me for a moment before a flash of familiarity cross his eyes. He looked as if he were about to speak, but someone cut him off.

"Tell me why I shouldn't kill you both right now?" My heart almost stopped at the sound of the voice. I know that voice, or at least _knew_ that voice. I just couldn't place it until I looked up and saw the face I didn't think I'd see again.

"Casandra?" I asked my mouth dropping open. I didn't know her very well, but I remember her perched as the Divine's right hand. What was she doing here? How'd she get here? She turned her angry eye on me and I instantly felt small before her. She was incredibly intimidating when she wanted to be.

"Thedran." She growled, "How could you do this? Divine Justinia took you in! How could you murder her!?" I stared back at her so confused that I couldn't even speak. She however took it for guilt and picked me up by my shirt collar while snarling. "Answer me!" I glared at her,

"It wasn't me, Cassandra." My words were like a smack in the face and she dropped me at a bruising force. I grunted, but never moved my eyes away from hers. "But, I wouldn't expect _you_ to believe me anyway." I broke eye contact with her and looked over at the man and noticed he had passed out again. I groaned inwardly and looked back up at her.

"Why would I? You have never given me any reason to trust you!" She ground out between clenched teeth. She was seething angry and my cool demeanor was only making it worse.

"Enough Cassandra." My eyes widened as I heard another familiar voice and Leliana stepped out of the darkness.

"Damn it Leliana you've been here the entire damn time and you let _her_ interrogate me?" I reprimanded her, but she didn't smile and I felt my spirits drop completely. "Ah, shit not you too." I dropped my head and looked at my hands, "Leliana we're friends for Maker's Sake, you've known me ever since the Divine found me!" I looked back up at her, pleading her with my eyes, and all I saw in her face was pain.

"Quinn, I'm sorry, but we can't be too careful with this. Prove your innocence to us. Please." Leliana's voice was emotionless and that scared me. I understood of course, but it still hurt to be on the receiving end of it for once.

"Explain this." I heard Cassandra hiss behind me as she pulled my arm up and got close to my face. I looked down at it as it flashed up at me. Where had I gotten this? Where did it come from? I tried so hard to think back on it, but it was like my memory was wiped past when I went to go find the Divine.

"I can't." I said dejectedly as I stared down at the ground. Cassandra scoffed, disgusted at my answer. I glared up at her, "Look if I knew where this came from I'd tell you! The Divine was like a mother to me. I'd never hurt her!" Cassandra backed away and dropped her eyes to the floor the sincerity in my voice hopefully changing her mind. My eyes squinted at her and I shook my head, "But, you know that. Don't you? Just looking for someone to blame, huh?" Her eyes snapped up to mine and a look of disgust crossed her face, but before she could say anything in retort Leliana spoke up.

"What were you doing at the Conclave?" I felt my breathe hitch a little in my throat as her words stung me. My heart started to pound in my chest as I remembered the last time I saw the woman that treated me like one of her own.

"The Divine hired me for another job, I was to steal plans for an assassination attempt of the Grand Enchanter Yvette from the Denerim Circle. The Divine believed they'd be there to kill her publicly, and I was to keep it very quiet. Steal the plans, find the assassin, kill them and expose the person involved. It was worse than we both thought, it was the Knight-Commander Jorgens plans to kill her there and blame it on an apostate group that would also be there. The assassin was one of the apostates and I took care of him before anything could be fulfilled and blackmailed the Knight-Commander so that he couldn't pose a threat anymore." I sighed and looked around the room and then to the man again, still unconscious. "The last thing I remember is going to go find the Divine in her throne room and then my memory just…stops. I can't explain why, it just does." They both looked at me now and Leliana nodded with a short smile.

"Alright. Cassandra take her shackles off. The Divine discussed this exact plan with me before sending me here to find you." She said to Cassandra who turned to me and bent down and took my shackles off. I rubbed my raw wrists as the shackles clanged to the ground. Looking up at her she gave me a hardened look and turned away looking at Leliana.

"You deal with her. I will stay until the other prisoner awakes." I rolled my eyes at Cassandra, ever the grump. I held in the chuckle that threatened to escape my lips at my own joke. I stood a bit wobbly and gripped the wall for some sort of balance. _Maker's balls I hurt so badly._ I stumbled as Leliana waved for me to follow her. I looked back at the man still passed out on the floor his hands still bound. I didn't want to leave him. I couldn't. He needed my protection. I looked back up at Cassandra and Leliana and then back at the man shaking my head lightly.

"I can't leave him. There was something or someone in the green light he came out of. It told me to protect him. And for some reason I can't shake the feeling that it might be the reason I survived the explosion." They both eyed each other for a short moment and Cassandra spoke up.

"He will be safe here with me, but if you truly want to protect him then go ahead of us with Leliana to the forward camp and clear a path through the demons. If you do that, I promise I will bring him to you safely." My eyes turned to slits looking for any trace of a lie, but found none. Looking at Leliana I nodded,

"All right. I'll go with you. But, if you don't keep your end of the bargain, so help me Cassandra your ass is mine." She nodded as she steeled herself up and I nodded back and walked next to Leliana out of the dungeon we'd been placed in. She opened the door and my eyes burned from the sudden exposure to the light. Grimacing at the blistering cold air that rushed past me I opened my eyes and stared at the scenery around us. But, everything had a greenish glow to it, and in my confusion I looked up at the same moment my hand started to burn and ache once again. This time it started at my fingertips and spread out through my arm bringing me to my knees as I cradled the limb.

"The Breach. It showed up when the Conclave exploded. It's expanding and so is your mark. It's killing you Quinn. I'm so sorry. The only way to save your life and the Prisoners is to close it." Relaxing as the pain passed I held my arm, cradling it so just in case it decided to act up again. Leliana gave me her hand and I took it hoisting myself up to my feet. "There's an elf, Solas is his name. The mark you and the other prisoner have he thinks it might be able to seal it, but your mark is different. He's not sure why or how, but it is. He wants to test it, but we need a rift for that. I know where one is if you'd like to head there now." I looked down at my hand once more and nodded to her,

"Yes, let's go. But, I will need some weapons first." She nodded to me with a rare friendly smile and we moved to a nearby tent. As we walked on I noticed all sorts of people watching as we passed, and all looked pissed that I was breathing. Looking back at them I felt slightly worried, but I knew that with Leliana standing there no one would make a move. "Leliana why are they all staring at me like they want me to burst into flames on spot?" She looked towards them and then back at me with a sigh.

"They believe you killed the Most Holy. They all want you dead." She said stoically as we walked making me groan,

"Well isn't that just peachy?" I grumbled making her let out a short chuckle and an insanely small smirk. She showed me to the tent that had an assortment of chests with armor and weapons. Bows lying about with quivers piled on top of each other all half-hazard. I looked into the nearest chest and found a pair of daggers and I stuffed them into my belt. The familiar feeling of them making me smile. I turned around to her and saw her reach for a bow and quiver already stuffed to the brim with arrows. "Are you ready to go?" She grinned and nodded towards the exit and we were off. The first swarm of Demons that we came upon were slightly difficult to deal with, but not too bad. I felt the adrenaline pump through me faster and faster as we fought through them. My blades moved in quick flashes as I quickly took out all the surrounding Demons, Leliana picking off the ones on the edge of the path. We moved on through cutting a path through the demon infested woods. I felt alive. My blood thrumming in my veins as the Demons evaporated one by one in front of me.

The last patch of Demons were right at the wood line and the forward camp was just beyond them. They had the gate closed and I looked to Leliana who already had her bow drawn. I pulled my daggers in front preparing for the battle and with a nod from Leliana I shot off into the battle. I grinned as I sliced through the first demon, a wisp I believe, as I flipped past an assault of claws from another demon. I twisted my body bringing down the blades effectively sinking them into the demons form. It sunk into the ground with a scream of agony. Looking up I was about to attack another, but watched as Leliana's arrow sunk into its body mere centimeters from my face. Turning to her briefly I saw her smirk and I rolled my eyes. "That was very close, Leli!" I called out a bit of laughter in my voice as I twisted the blade in my hand and dug it into the closest demons distorted features and over the cries of its demise I heard her chuckle back,

"I can make it closer if that is what you want." She chortled and I rolled my eyes as I rushed another demon. Calling out as I drove my dagger deep into the monstrous creatures chest.

"No, thanks. I'm good!" I called back and cartwheeled around a wraith and drove the dagger into its side and twisted it angrily. Leliana picked off the last of the wisps and I looked around as I stepped over the gooey remains of one of the demons my lip twitching with disgust. _So gross._ We moved past the fallen remains of what used to be a demon horde and into the camp. I was shocked when the first thing I saw were people staring at me and Leliana in awe. _I think I preferred the people back in Haven._ Leliana noticed my unease and she grinned,

"Too much attention for your taste, Angel of Dumonde?" I laughed at the reminder of one of the titles I'd been given while under the command of Divine Justinia and she seemed to smile as well.

"Me? Oh, Never." I mused and she gave me a smirk which only lasted a manner of seconds before her face changed completely donning on one of a diplomat. I eyed her curiously wondering what had made her switch so quickly. I followed her line of sight and I saw the man from earlier. Taking a moment to marvel at him as we walked I noticed his short blonde hair creating a halo around him, his bulging muscles concealed under his arm as they worked at the parchment underneath his gloved hands. He stared pensively down at the map marking something with a quill making it impossible for me to see his face. Swallowing a smile, I continued walked with Leliana towards him, but he didn't seem to notice us yet.

"Commander." Leliana said in her authoritative voice and I watched as his head snapped up to her and then to me. His eyes lingered for a moment and the air seemed to be useless in my lungs as those beautiful honey eyes connected with mine. _Breathtaking_. I suddenly felt my cheeks heat us and I looked away breaking the eye contact before he could notice. _What the Void was that? Blushing like some little Chantry girl?_ I scolded myself, finding sudden interest in the ground.

"Leliana, I've mapped out a path to the Temple, there is a lot of resistance on the path that goes directly to the Temple. The mountain path however is rather quiet which is peculiar…" He trailed off as he stared down at the map. _Holy Maker, his voice was ever so wonderful too._ Mused that little annoying voice in my head again and I inwardly groaned. I balled my fists and looked at the map too. It had a road leading up to the Conclave and another leading through a mountain passage. On these routes there were a series of markings placed on it as well as a token of some sorts. I looked at Leliana questioningly as she pointed at an 'X' marked in the middle of the path straight to the Breach.

"There is a rift there that is where we can test out your mark." Nodding at her words, I looked back down at my hand to where the mark would be and grimaced. _I hope it works_. I looked back up at Leliana and gave her a confident smile.

"All right, we will try out this Solas's idea, I cannot promise anything. But, I'll try. Hopefully if I can't that man can." I told her and she gave me a nod lightly squeezing my shoulder lightly.

"That is all we can ask for, my friend. Now, we must wait for Cassandra to meet us here with the Prisoner and her team." I gave a short nod my hands finding my best and roaming them softly over the handles of my blades bringing myself some comfort. I was Leliana's friend, but how far would that go if I couldn't seal the rifts?

"Ah, Sister Leliana, Commander, and…" I heard a voice approaching from behind us and I turned to it and heard the hiss of his voice when he regarded me, "Murderer." I felt a tight glare form on my face as I studied the small man. He was a cleric whomever he was. His snotty behavior and big hat gave that one away. He had a strange looking goatee and sunken in eyes that looked almost black as they turned to me. I remembered this man from somewhere, quickly running through my catalog of names and people, but I couldn't think of his name.

"Chancellor Roderick." Leliana spoke evenly and informatively as if she knew I was trying to remember him. The Chancellor moved his eyes to Leliana who stood a bit straighter.

"Why is she still here?! I want her incarcerated for her crimes against the Most Holy!" When Leliana didn't budge, he glared at her. "Fine." He muttered through gritted teeth as he snapped his fingers. Quickly, a pair of his guards came up and moved towards me shackles ready in the one on the lefts hands. I gripped my daggers harshly ready to attack, but stopped when I saw a pair of broad shoulder covered by a bunch of feathers and a fine blonde haired head catching the sunlight once again.

"Back down soldiers, that's an order." He boomed and the soldiers backed down immediately and moved back to their posts. I couldn't help the grin that spread across my face. "And you Chancellor, you have no say in the matter go back to your tent. Someone will come and collect you when you are needed." I leaned from behind the Commander giving the Chancellor a smirk and a wave. The Chancellor's face turned the same color as his hat as he stomped away. Watching his retreating form made me chuckle lightly. The Commander let go of the pommel and huffed as he drug a hand through his soft looking blonde hair. I blew out a whistle as he turned to me and gave him a wide grin.

"Remind me to stick around you more often." He raised an eye brow at me and as I chuckled. "'You'll be collected when you're needed'," Mimicking his deep voice and crossed my arms all authoritatively. "That was impressive. Shut him up too, which is the best part." His lips curled up into a smile briefly before coughing and going back around the table. Suddenly, a thunderous sound erupted around us and my hand flared up. I heard a cry of pain punch from my lungs as my arm screamed at me. I grabbed at it and held it from their sight as I bit my lip as screwed my eyes shut. "Shit that smarts." I grunted as it finally subsided and I exhaled heavily. Maker I needed to get to that Breach now, for both me and the man. I cast my eyes towards the ground. "Leliana, I need to make for that rift now. This is getting worse, I can feel it. I bet that man's mark is getting worse as well, and I'm not going to let him die if I can do something about it. Just point me in the right direction and I'll take care of it myself." I said as I let go of my arm, but didn't hear a word from either one of them. I shot a look up at Leliana first and then at the Commander. "Well?" Leliana cautiously held her hand out to the front gate.

"Quinn you cannot go out there alone and I have to wait for Cassandra and the prisoner. I'm sure if you wait everything will be fine-"I shook my head silencing her with a glare, slamming my hands onto the table.

"You don't know that! Every moment I spend wasting away on talking he's one step closer to dying and so am I. And I'm not dying yet, I have things to do." I stated with a huff and looked at the Commander. "So, Blondie give me a direction." I ordered as I turned my eyes to the Commander and he looked at me for a moment before nodding.

"I'll do you one better. I will go with you." A bit taken aback by his willingness I stumbled for words, but instead of that I simply nodded to him. His lips quirked up in the smallest of ways in the corner of his mouth that same sinful scar quirking delightfully making me smile back before he turned around. He headed off and Leliana looked at me questioningly, but didn't say anything for a moment. I gave her a squeeze on her arm and she gave me a quick smile.

"Quinn, I do not agree with this. You should wait for Cassandra." I shook my head as we started to walk towards the front gate and I turned to her. I placed my hands on her shoulders.

"Leliana you need to have some faith in me. Maker's Breathe I'm a big girl and I'm more than capable of taking out a few demons." She didn't look convinced and I rolled my eyes at her silliness.

"I know you are. But, I don't want to lose another friend, and if you can close the rifts and the Breach, we need you." Understanding her point I nodded to her and gave her a signature smirk as I pushed back a couple of strands that had fallen into face.

"Then, I'll take special care to not die. Besides apparently I'm in good hands. I've got Mr. Tall, Blonde and Handsome with me." I said with a soft smirk and her eyes flicked over my shoulder an amused look crossing her hardened features and I felt my blood turn to ice in my veins. "Ah shite, he's right behind me isn't he?" She nodded with that same expression and looked as if she were biting back a laugh.

"Yes, well Mr. Tall, Blonde and Handsome is ready to go whenever you are." A blush tainted my cheeks, but felt a chuckle bubble up and I clapped a hand over my mouth to hold it in. Composing myself only for a moment I turned to him with a bright smile.

"Well alright then. Let's go." I said with mirth as I passed him tapping his breastplate with the flat of palm. He chuckled as I did and followed suit. His metal armor clinking ever so slightly as we walked out of the gate and onto the icy road cluttered with burns and rubble.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Commander!" The soldiers saluted as we walked through the small camp that was stationed not far from the rift I was to test out my mark on. The soldiers created a path to the front gate. Looking around the small camp I saw injured soldiers with bandages wrapped heavily around their extremities. So many wounded or dead lying on the snowy ground. Their bright red blood contrasting horridly with the pale white of the snow beneath them. There were cries of men dying men, pleading Andraste for mercy. Healers running about mixing remedies and nursing the wounded. Death was nothing new to me, but this…this was much different. I'd only seen something like this in Dumonde. Mages and Templars lying in the streets soaked in their own blood. The very stench of death coating the air like a thick smoke. Shaking myself from the memory I kept my face tight trying to feign indifference as we passed one of the troops that had his head bandaged and was reaching out towards me. We kept on through the small camp as the Commander looked over the scene with a look that was too complex to decipher.

"HELP ME! PLEASE!" My head snapped up towards the cry for help tearing my attention away from the Commander. There in the entrance to the camp stood a man covered in what I assume was his own blood. Without thinking I burst forward to the man who was gripping the stones of the archway for dear life as his eyes started to flutter closed. I heard someone shout to me, but I didn't stop. I reached for him as his knees buckled and collapse. Just as I was about to grab him a blinding white and green light flashed in front of me. The force of the light tossed me backwards like a ragdoll through the cold air. I hit the ground hard, the air zapped from my lungs. I gasped trying to catch my breath but I couldn't. Tears stung my eyes and I opened them unwisely. The world was swirling above me making my stomach flop as the acidic taste of vomit rose in the back of my throat. I wheezed turning myself unsteadily onto my hands and knees. There was barely any sound coming through my ears except for this incessant ringing in my ears. High pitched and buzzing like an angry insect caught in my eardrum. The ringing was still there, but new distorted noises prickled around my ears. Suddenly all sound came back and I winced as I heaved air into my lungs trying to compose myself.

"Quinn!" I heard the same male voice call to me and hoist me to my feet. My knees buckled as a faint throbbing basically everywhere in my body sprung up and I groaned. I didn't want to open my eyes again fearing that I'd actually vomit. The person holding me shook me again and I swore quietly at them. I slumped against the person holding me once again and I grabbed hold of the armor trying to keep myself standing. The person grabbed hold of me around my waist and dragged me up against them once again. "QUINN!" The voice basically yelled as a hand grabbed the side of my neck unsuccessfully trying to stop my head from lobbing to the side. I frowned and my hand rose to my forehead as I looked up to the Commander who was staring at me his worry painted in his lovely honey eyes. I groaned at the sore parts of my body that would surely be bruising. "Maker's Breath say something!" I felt my head flop against his breastplate lazily as I caught my breath again. _I hate getting the wind knocked out of me_. Finding words I spoke,

"You're bad luck, you know that?" I asked breathlessly and I felt him exhale a little before chuckling. I pulled my head back and looked up at him and his white teeth flashed at me in a smile. I let out a short laugh afraid of laughing too much. Suddenly I was too aware of the distance between us, or lack thereof it and moved woozily away from his embrace. His arm shot out to stabilize me, but I held my hand out to show him that I had it. He dropped his arm, but watched me as I gathered my bearings.

"I am the one with bad luck?" He inquired with mirth and I felt my lips tip into a smile.

"Well it certainly isn't me. I'm always lucky to have around." I commented jokingly and he rumbled with a laugh before looking over towards the rift. I gave a short nod to him and started towards the rift. My hand started to flare up as we moved closer to it. I grimaced at the pricks of pain stabbing at me from the middle of my palm to my elbow. I shook my hand hoping to ease some of the pain, but it didn't cease.

"Does it hurt?" His deep voice rang out beside me and I grimaced as I looked down at my palm. Deciding it'd be better not to tell him all of it, I spoke back with fake confidence.

"Nothing that I can't take." I said evenly and praised the Maker that my voice didn't deceive me. He however didn't look convinced, but didn't ask anything further. We walked right up on the rift and I noticed it was much smaller than the rift that the man had fallen out of, and much higher in the air. I groaned, how in the Maker's name was I supposed to do this? "Do you have any idea how I'm going to test this bugger out?" I asked as I stared at the damned thing elevated maybe 10 feet above me.

"I'm not sure…Maybe-"He didn't have time to finish as I felt my arm snap up towards the rift against my will and an intense pain shot through me. I felt as if I were being torn in two by the pain that gripped at my heart. I screamed in agony and fell to my knees. The beam that was extended from my hand and into the rift intensified and if it were even possible it hurt even more. The beam pulsed again and I failed miserably and holding in the scream that threatened to burst from my lips again. The damned mark was killing me! Unexpectedly the beam that was going into the rift shot back towards me and into my hand. A sound like a thunderclap crackled through the air upon impact and I collapsed without the pull of the rift. My whole body felt like it was on fire. The air felt poisonous in my lungs as I gasped on the ground pulling my arm underneath me. The snow on the ground was cold under my skin, but it soothed my feverish skin. The ground crunched under the weight of someone approaching me and I felt myself being lifted up and cradled gently. My eyes focused and I caught the sight of liquid gold eyes as they watched me with confusion and fear.

"Ow." I hissed and he moved his hand over my face to brush the hair out of the way but pulled his hand away ever so slightly before looked me over.

"You're hot…" His eye brows knit together in confusion and I sucked in a deep breath trying to stop the laugh.

"Thanks, you're not bad yourself." I muttered breathily trying to not move too much. His face lit up momentarily with a smile albeit a worried one.

"What just happened?" He sounded genuinely worried when he asked, but I felt my body seize up as another wave of pain bubble up from my hand.

"I-I don't know." I muttered in exhaustion, but felt tears threaten to sting my eyes as I saw the rift still open. "I didn't even close it!" I pushed myself away from him anger boiling in my chest. Looking down at my hand I ground out, "I'm Useless." Bracing my hands against the ground I pulled my tired body up and stared at the disgusting sight before me. All that pain and nothing. It didn't even get smaller. Standing tall I moved in front of the rift. I had to try again. What if the prisoner couldn't close the rift? What if he was in as much pain as I am whenever I touch these things? That Golden Woman wanted me to protect him…so I should do this. Protect him from pain. I held my hand out, but saw a gloved hand whip out and grasp my wrist tightly. My head snapped to the Commander as he pulled my arm back down. "What are you doing? I need to try again!" I objected, what was he doing? He shook his head at me and held my wrist tighter when I tried to pry it from him.

"That thing sounded like it was killing you! Don't try it again, just wait until the Prisoner gets here! He can try!" I looked down at his hand holding my wrist and felt a surge of electricity course through me. He must've realized he was still holding me, and he released my wrist embarrassedly murmuring, "Forgive me." I looked away a blush threatening to spill onto my face as I took my hand back from him. A crackling sound emitted from the Fade grabbing my attention. Out of the rift spilled Wraiths, Shades, and Terror demons with long sharp claws and beady red eyes. I ground my teeth together and slipped my daggers from the belt as The Commander beside me barked orders to soldiers. The Demon in front of me lunged and I twisted to the side. Raising my blades to block the attack I then spun, my braid whipping around me as I drove the dagger into the side of the demon. It flailed its gruesome claws and I barely missed the attack before ripping my dagger out viciously. My other blade catching the opposite claw just in time as it thrashed in pain. It sunk into the ground only to be replaced with another two. I gnashed my teeth together and slashed through them trying to ignore the burning sensation in my hand. My movements were quicker now, the adrenaline and excitement pushing me into a familiar frenzy. My blood sung through my veins, my heart pounded in my chest as I drove my dagger through more demons that came through the rift. My mind was sharp as I caught every movement of the demons around me. Slashing and slicing through them happened and I grinned to myself as they evaporated into little pieces around me and back into the Fade. Looking around for more I caught sight of the Commander fighting off a horde of the monstrous beings that came at him. I was lost in the way his body was moving. A snarl placed on his lips as he drove his sword through a lanky demon. I almost forgot my surrounding I was so caught up how magnificent he looked. But, something else caught my attention. His movements were very familiar, the way he held himself and weapons. I mentally slapped myself for not realizing it earlier. He's a Templar. Suddenly, I snapped back to the fight as a demon nearly decapitated me with its claws. Ducking beneath the blow, I felt its claws catch my hair and I gasped as it yanked. Yelping as my hair was ripped from its braid. I rolled on the snow to miss the next attack and quickly pushed my hair out of my face. I drove my blade into its long leg and heard it scream as it reared back. Bolting to my feet I drove my dagger into its chest with a cry. It disintegrated into a million pieces before my eyes just like the others. Skillfully I moved across the battlefield towards two demons which were attacking a soldier who was nursing a bleeding arm, but still fighting valiantly. I rushed up to the attackers and sunk my left dagger into the side of its ugly head sending the Demon to the Fade with a growl. The soldier nodded a thanks his grey eyes watching me in awe as I shot away towards the Commander. My arms seemed to move at their own volition as fragments of the horrific beings that got in my way were sucked away by the rift. I flipped into the ring of creatures that had surrounded the Commander and bumped into his back lightly. His head twisted to me his sword ready to strike. I gave him a quick smile and he nodded to me before turning back around and driving his sword through a Shade demon.

"You know, you're pretty impressive!" I called to him with a grin on my face before quickly dispensing another Shade Demon into the Fade as I twisted around the Commanders body.

"As are you!" He called back with a grunt as he swung his mighty blade once again down upon a rather disgusting looking demon. I grinned, and looked around me. We danced around each other taking down the Demons around us. My twin knives sunk into the same Demon that Cullen impaled with his sword and we stared at each other in shock for a moment before it dissolved into the Fade. We both spun on our heels and looked to the rift. Two large demons were left in front of us and the remaining recruits were taking out two more, but there were no others after that. My smirk grew wider as I got ready for the two Pride Demons that moved towards the Commander and me.

"I got the ugly one!" I teased and bolted forward sliding to one knee as I drug my dagger across its vicious looking leg and as it screamed I sunk a blade into its chest. It flailed its arm and drove its claw forward. Twisting out of the way I heard it scream in protest as I drove another dagger into its chest, but it never met as its large clawed hand grabbed my arm making my eyes widen as it pulled me up. It held its blade like claws at the ready to kill me as a gurgle of ichor bubble in its throat. Quickly I flipped above it freeing my hand from its claws and hooked my legs around its neck yanking towards the ground. It flopped involuntarily and I drove my knife deep into its chest and yanked it out as it evaporated into the Fade. I looked up and saw the Commander swing his sword high and chop the head off the Demons body. I grinned while panting with exertion. Maker I hate demons so much. We eyed each other for injuries, but we were both unscathed for the most part.

"Maker, woman you-that was-"He swore at me and I felt an eye brow raise involuntarily and gave a lopsided smile. "Reckless. Very Reckless." His reprimand caused me to roll my eyes and shift my weight. He sighed and brought a hand to the back of his neck and I couldn't help but stare in awe at how utterly adorable that was. "Effective, but still reckless!" I nodded to him as he walked up to my side a small smirk playing at his lips. I turned to the wounded recruits who were being helped out by healers and unharmed recruits. Suddenly the exhaustion came back like a harsh memory and I winced. "Where did you learn to fight like that?" He continued his body fully turned to me. I pulled at my hair that was now cascading around me in waves. I grinned to myself and wondered if I should tell him what my occupation was. Deciding it wasn't really the time for that I faced him with a simple smile.

"Oh, here and there…Templar." I teased wagging my finger at him, "I'm pretty ashamed I didn't see it before, you've got the posture and everyth-"I stopped talking when I noticed him stiffen and pale a little. Confusion consumed me as I stared at the man in front of me, but I decided against questioning him further. Clapping my hands together in front of me awkwardly I nodded understandingly. "Oh…touchy subject, huh? Sorry. New Topic?" He nodded gratefully and gave me a very quick flash of a smile,

"Yes, that'd be much appreciated." He nodded I looked back up at him as he assessed the situation with his arms crossed over his chest. His feathered coat swaying slightly in the wind. Quickly looking him over I noticed how stern he was. Like a statue, _a very good looking statue_. Suddenly jaggedly cut fabric and a stain of bright red caught my attention. I rocked back on my heels and pulled at the fabric to take a peek at the ripped skin. His eyes flicked to me and then down to his arm looking genuinely surprised. I bit back a laugh as I sliced off a piece of the bottom of my shirt, folding it and then placing it on his wounded arm applying pressure. He hissed quietly before a little sprinkle of pink settled over his cheeks. "Uh, thank you. I didn't even realize I…uh…" I nodded and pulled away the cloth giving him a smile as I ignored the aching in my back.

"Anytime." I said quickly, "So what happens now?" I added with a smile as I motioned around. He turned his gaze back on the soldiers bustling around helping out each other. He didn't answer instead he stared ahead and straightened his back. Following his line of sight I saw the soldier I had helped earlier marching up to us.

"Commander!" He saluted tiredly, but dutifully and the Commander nodded for him to be at ease, "Sir, no fatalities, 3 wounded, and all Demons dead." He said in an authoritative tone and then he turned to me and I was a bit shocked at the awe that was still in his eyes. "I-I wanted to thank you, ma'am. You saved my life…you were amazing. I've never seen someone fight like you…Just…Thank you! Thank you so much." I felt a twinge of pink tickle at my cheeks as he shot me a goofy smile.

"It was my pleasure…" I searched for his name and he seemed to catch the cue and nodded with another salute to me this time.

"Lieutenant Rylen!" I smiled and gave him a mock salute back and grinned at him.

"Quinn, Quinn Thedran." I pulled the salute away copying him with a nod. He nodded as well before straightening and turning to the Commander.

"Sir!" Who, in turn, nodded shortly.

"You are dismissed, Lieutenant." I smirked to myself as he turned and rushed off to the camp that was now busy with healers and bloodied soldiers. "Well, it appears you have won the approval of our Lieutenant." The Commander teased and I crossed my arms and looked up at him with a smirk. A chuckle rumbled from his chest as I dramatically flitted my hand,

"What can I say, I'm lovable." I teased back and his eyes locked with mine as he laughed.

"Yes, he certainly seems to think so." He commented distantly as if lost in his own thoughts somewhere else. His eyes dancing in the green light of the Fade and I smiled when he looked at me briefly. I felt the smile fade as I noticed how tense the Commander was. His eyes never wavered from the Fade rift after that, every muscle in his body seemed coiled up tight and ready to strike. I frowned at that, but quickly replaced it with a smirk.

"Maker, I pegged you well. I knew you'd be the silent guardian type. Stoic and stiff with a scowl constantly besmirching your handsome features." I confessed in a sing song way and his lips tipped upwards making stomach flip.

"I rather like being the silent guardian type." He muttered, setting his chin and puffing out his chest. I grinned at that,

"Well it does suit you." He looked at me for a moment before a grin split his lovely lips. That same scar twitching up deliciously. We stood in silence and I came to the revelation that I didn't know his name, but he knew mine and that wasn't fair. "What's your name?" I asked without thinking about how to phrase it and he turned his head towards me with confusion. I suddenly felt very stupid for asking, and tried to explain myself. "I….You know my name, but I do not know yours. And honestly it's a bit bothersome to keep calling you Commander." He looked a little hesitant so I continued still feeling very awkward. "Aw, Come on it can't be that bad. As long as it's not Francis or Rupert or-"I stopped when he started chuckling at me and my eyes widened as he smiled to me.

"Cullen. My name is Cullen. Dear Maker…Francis? Really?" I shrugged as a laugh erupted from my lips. I thought of his name after I stopped laughing and decided to test it out.

"Cullen…" I said slowly drawing out each syllable with a smile. He stilled when I spoke and I looked towards him from under my eye lashes. "Huh, Commander Cullen…" He nodded a smirk finding its way onto his face. "Certainly does have a nice ring, doesn't it?" My grin only grew wider when I saw a faint pink line stretch across his cheeks and nose.

"Yes, I suppose it does." He mused with a smile. Turning to the Rift again I dropped my arm to my hip as I shifted my weight. Sweet Andraste I need a nap, a really, really long nap. Suddenly my hand sparked up and I gripped my wrist tightly, biting my lip to keep from crying out.

"Balls." I muttered through clenched teeth. A hand grabbed at my shoulder and I bit into my lip a bit harder as the pain started to ease off. Sucking in a sharp breath I looked up to see Cullen looking back towards the camp. I hadn't noted Cassandra and her merry band waltzing up next to us. Cullen dropped his hand quickly as he spoke to Cassandra.

"Lady Cassandra." Cullen addressed her and she nodded back to him. I watched them converse for a moment but, my attention was pulled away by the Prisoner. I watched the he moved past us with haste and lifted his hand towards the rift. I winced at my hand which started to burn as a beam shot from his. The rift snapped shot and he shook his hand roughly before turning back to us. Everyone seemed to find this completely normal, but I couldn't help but stare at him in confusion. He seemed perfectly fine. Like he didn't feel any pain at all.

"Are you in pain?" I questioned as I gestured to his hand. He titled his head to me his shaggy brown hair falling into his face as he shook his head,

"No…I mean it does sting a little, but nothing really." I nodded slowly regarding my own hand, the memory of the pain sending shivers up my spine.

"Lucky." I muttered as I continued to stare at the mark on my hand. Releasing a breath I hadn't realized I was holding I looked up only to come face to face with a bald, green eyed elf. Leaning back slightly I looked him over with wide eyes. Noticing the first the staff that stuck out just over his shoulder. _He is a mage._ He was inspecting me too close for my comfort being mere inches from me. "Uh…hello…" He nodded as he looked down at my hand and I placed it in his as he turned it over to look at the mark. His eyes scanned over it for a few moments and then up at me. His wise green eyes watching me calmly.

"Hello, my name is Solas." I gave him a small smile and twisted the hand to shake his. His smile barely tipping up his lips.

"Quinn…can you help me with my hand?" He nodded, a serious frown now placed on his lips.

"Does it hurt?" I gave him a short nod, looking down at the mark.

"Earlier, when I tried to seal the rift it rejected it. It…hurt." His eye brows scrunched together and he regarded me silently before looking back at the prisoner, then back at me.

"You seem to have the same mark, but the fact that the rift rejected your mark instead of his…that baffles me." He muttered absentmindedly and I groaned,

"Damn, well…okay." The elf stepped aside and a sigh fell from my lips. The Prisoner walked up to me offering me a small smile. "Hey…you. Nice to see you up and walking." He grinned and inclined his head towards me,

"Yes…it is nice to be on my feet." He joked with a smile, "I've been told you were the one to find me. You also survived the blast at the Conclave." I nodded affirmatively as he held out his hand. "Liam Trevelyan, and you are?" I shook the outstretched hand with a smile about to introduce myself when a familiar voice interrupted us,

"Andraste's Ass, Quinn Thedran is that you?" I jerked my head towards the familiar voice and grinned madly when I saw who it was.

"Varric!? What the Void are you doing outside of Kirkwall?" I squealed excitedly as I ran up and hugged the dwarf.

"Decided to play hero for a bit, maybe get some new ideas for my book." He said nonchalantly and then turned his head to grin at someone. "And, Cassandra hates that I'm here, so naturally I have to stay." I bit back a laugh, but failed horribly at it as I turned with him. He grinned up at me and we looked towards the group as they all stared at us in confusion.

"So…you know each other?" Cullen said with a raised eye brow, confusion ebbed in his voice.

"Oh yeah, me and Angel go way back." I shot him a grin, but my attention was pulled back to Cullen who looked somewhat unsatisfied with Varric's words. I prayed silently Varric wouldn't divulge too far.

"Angel?" Cullen's confusion made me smile, and he looked to me questioningly.

"Angel of Dumonde. Take a bow Quinn." He drawled out dramatically, causing me to roll my eyes as a blush staining my cheeks. I whacked him on the back of the head with my open palm and he jolted forward with a chuckle. I grumbled under my breath quietly cursing him. I hated being the subject of Varric's showboat antics.

"Yes, well introductions are done. We need to move to the Breach." Cassandra cut in with a curt tone. I nodded looking at Trevelyan who sent me a grave look. I squinted at him as he looked down and then towards the Breach. A look of resolve and fearlessness crossing his features. I stared at him as he started to walk away and I caught up with him.

"Trevelyan, are you alright?" He stopped momentarily and gave me thin lipped smile.

"Quinn…have they told you about the Breach?" I nodded and he dropped his head as we continued to march on. "Have they told you there is a great chance I-we might die trying to close the Breach." His tone was so helpless, and so final. Like he was prepared for his own death. I thought back to what Leliana had told me and I grimaced and grabbed his bicep and gave him a cheery smile.

"Don't you worry Trevelyan, I'll make sure you live through this." His eyes sparkled with hope for a moment and his lips twitched into another smile. "Just think, you close that thing and you'll be a hero, and that'll be pretty cool." He chuckled and patted the hand that was still on his arm. His eyes never wavering from the Breach.

"And what if I'm not able to close it? What if we fail?" I nodded watching it too,

"Well just try, and if we can't close it, we'll figure out another way, you, me and this merry band of makeshift heroes." I joked as I motioned to the group around us walking towards the Conclave. He laughed and grinned at me,

"Thank you, Quinn." I nodded and hummed back to him and we walked in silence towards and came upon the remnants of the Divine's Conclave. It was a far scarier than it had been when I was deliriously stamping through not a day before. Bodies still glistening with embers stationary and horrifying. My eyes were glued to them, their mouths gaping open as they stared in horror ahead of them. I held my head to look straight ahead of me trying not to look at them anymore. Straightening my back I walked forward and my heart dropped into my stomach when I saw before me two boulders that looked very familiar. The spot where I woke up after the explosion. Faintly behind me I heard Cassandra speaking to Trevelyan,

"This is where you fell out of the Fade. Where we found you and Quinn." Her voice sounded so distant and so sad. I never thought to ask her how she was doing. We weren't close by any means, but the Divine meant as much to her as she did to me. If Cassandra was feeling anything that I was-"

"Are you alright?" A deep voice jarred me from my thoughts and I turned my head. Cullen was standing tall, his head turned partially towards me. His eyes flat and serious and his chin set.

"That's a silly question, Cullen." I muttered to him and he grimaced and looked away.

"Right, forgive me. No one would be alright going through all this, and-" I gave him a smile as he stammered through his sentence. He looked at me and his words stopped. His ears turned bright red and felt a giggle burst from my lips.

"Don't apologize Cullen. I…It's just I'm not alright, but I'll make it." He nodded and his eyes flicked to mine, a sympathetic smile curved his lips. I pulled my eyes away from him and looked to the Breach. "I have to." I murmured to myself, but stiffened when his gloved hand brushed my shoulder. My heart started to beat very fast in my chest and my throat closed up. A reassuring squeeze from him and my knees started to shake. _Maker I need help._ He suddenly looked very shy and pulled his hand away tucking it tight against his side. Looking away from him once again we walked through what was left of the entrance to the main room. Everyone was around us now and I looked at the Breach and then down at the large rift below it. Its crystalline structure sparking with eerie green life. We walked onto a balcony that over looked the area below the rift and I felt my heart sink. How in the Maker's name were we going to close that thing if it was so far up?

"The Breach is a long way up." Varric voiced all our thoughts and I nodded, staring up at the large green hole in the sky. My hand started to spark like it was calling out to the Fade. Trevelyan's sparked as well and we looked to each other, then back at the rift.

"You're here, Thank the Maker!" I heard Leliana call out as she came rushing towards us with a large number of troops behind her. She looked worn out, though she'd never admit it. This was taking a tax on her just being in here…this reminder of a travesty that rocked her to her very core.

"Leliana have your men take up positions around the Temple." Cullen commanded as he moved with the troops to the base of the rift. I watched him go his feather lined coat swaying gently as he moved, the bright green light shining through his golden locks. Cassandra stepped into my line of sight breaking my view of the Commanders form.

"This is your chance to end this. Are you both ready?" She looked from me to Trevelyan.

"Well I'm not sure, but I think I'll need a boost." I joked and she lifted an eyebrow at me probably wondering how I could have a sense of humor at a time like this.

"Yes, how exactly are we going to get to the Breach?" Trevelyan questioned as his grey eyes stared quizzically at Cassandra.

"You will not have to, this rift is the first and it is the Key to closing the Breach. Seal it and perhaps we seal the Breach." Solas spoke up from behind us and I looked to him before looking back at Cassandra as she spoke,

"Then let's find a way down, and be careful." I nodded affirmatively and ran off with Trevelyan who was inspecting the ground and my eyes flew wide as I saw a red crystal jutting out from the ground.

"Varric…tell me that isn't…" I couldn't finish there is no way that _that_ would be here.

"Red Lyrium…" I sighed in disgust, "But what is it doing here?" I shook my head as I dropped down to the ground. Trevelyan dropped next to me and we moved towards the rift. Suddenly it was as if all sound and air had been sucked from around me. All I could hear was a deep, emotionless voice.

"Keep the sacrifice still." My heart jolted in my chest ramming painfully against my ribs. That voice…. "Someone help me!" Another voice cried out, the Divine. I'd know her voice anywhere. Except instead of her usual serene voice, panic was all I heard. "What's going on here!?" A voice cried out and I looked to Trevelyan who was wide eyed. That was his voice. Suddenly the rift erupted and a scene played around us. Trevelyan ran out as the Divine squirmed in a red magic that trapped her. A large dark figure with red eyes stared at Trevelyan with disgust. "Run while you can, warn them!" She cried out to him and I held my breath. What was I seeing? A memory? The Red eyed monster turned to us like it could see us right now and pointed "We have an intruder. Kill him!" It said and suddenly a figure that looked like me bolted from the shadows and launched at the monstrous figure. "NO!" I heard myself scream and I stared as the memory closed in front of us.

"You were there! Who attacked? And the Divine is she-was this vision true!? What are we seeing?" I heard Cassandra demand as she approached us. I felt my heart ache, I was there. I could've saved the Divine, and I didn't. What had happened that day that prevented it? Who was this monster? Did he create the Breach? Was he the cause of the explosion? What did he mean by sacrifice? I balled my hands into tight fists and clenched my teeth at Cassandra's words. Anger, confusion, and frustration biting at my nerves and the worst thing is, is that I knew I was there but I couldn't remember anything about it! Gritting my teeth together as she got in my face. "Answer me Thedran!" I growled at her,

"I don't remember, Cassandra!" She snarled back and I saw Trevelyan walk up next to me,

"You LIE!" I squared my shoulders at her just in case she decided to attack me. Such an emotional and brash woman.

"She's telling the truth, Lady Seeker. I don't remember any of this either." Cassandra looked between us and then backed away grunting angrily. I understood her anger, but it was starting to get very annoying how it was consistently being pointed towards me. I looked over at Trevelyan with a nod of thanks before looking to Solas who was speaking as he walked towards the rift. An enchanted look in his eyes as he watched the Breach in awe.

"Echoes of what happened here. The Fade bleeds into this place. The rift is not sealed, but it is closed…albeit temporarily. I believe that with the mark the rift can be opened and then sealed properly and safely. However, opening the rift will likely attract attention from the other side." His calm voice rang out in my ears and I grimaced. Damn it more demons. But, I guess it would end here. One final battle and all this demon shit would be over.

"That means demons! Stand ready!" I rolled my eyes at her, _Demons? Who would've thought._ I mused in my head as she looked around seriously to all the troops and that's when I realized it was for their benefits. I looked to Trevelyan and him to me as we walked towards the rift and he held up his hand and I followed suit. I couldn't close rifts, but maybe I'd be proficient at opening them? The beam shot from my hand and this time there was barely any pain. It almost felt natural the pull that was on the mark in my hand. If it weren't for the slight burning I'd barely notice what I was doing. Trevelyan on the other hand was sweating immeasurably and he bit back the pained cries. The rift opened with a clap and immediately a demon shot from the rift. Trevelyan stumbled and I grabbed hold of him to stop him from falling. A horrible laugh resonated through the Temple as Trevelyan and I stared up at the massive demon in front of us. It brought down its large clawed hand towards us and I dove out of the way pulling Trevelyan with me and we rolled to the side. I flipped and stood pulling my daggers out and ready. Battle cries exploded around me as I slashed at the large beast. The battle raged and I burst forward towards the smaller demons that spilled from the rift. Gripping my daggers tight in my hands I sunk them into demons one after the other. Their black ichor splashing against my armor making my stomach lurch in disgust. I paused when I saw Cullen fighting off a pride demon. With a snarl he ripped his blade through the demon mercilessly and turned. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the large demon raise its hand and point it towards one of the soldiers. My heart pounded in my chest as I started to run, the bolt missed the soldier, but was on another course straight for Cullen. In that moment everything seemed to slow down. He was unaware of the danger as he drove his sword through another demon dispatching it into the Fade. A bolt that size would kill him! I shot towards him his name tearing a path through my throat. He wheeled around to me, his eyes connecting with mine before looking over. The look of surprise and horror on his face as he saw his dead coming towards him. Already bolting towards him my marked hand reached out to him flaring up brightly. I was too far away, I wasn't going to make it to him!

Thank you so much for the reviews!


	4. Chapter 4

The Fade exploded before my eyes and as quick as it came it went. Out of the green light once more the world cracked open in front of me and I barely saw a flash of a silver armor before hitting something very hard. I felt arms encircle my waist as the person and I tumbled on the unforgiving ground. We bounced and skidded into the broken remains of a wall, a vice like grip latched onto my arm to keep me close. I whimpered quietly when I felt my back ache from the impact, and tried to pull away from the hand, but it wouldn't let go. Looking from the hand to the owner I spotted the Commander staring at me intently with a mixture of awe, shock and confusion in his honey eyes. I let out a sigh of relief, he was alive! I saved him!

"Maker's Breathe…how did you-what did you just do?" I searched him quickly for any sign of injury and found him to be completely fine.

"What are you talking-? " I paused. How did I get to him in time? There was no way I could have!

"You came through the Fade and… You opened a rift right in front of me…" His golden eyes glowed as he stared at me, his voice sending chills up my spine. Did he just say I came through the Fade? My eyes drew over to my hand in confusion. _What was happening to me?_ "You saved my life…" His voice was so distant and I looked back to him with a short smile. His eyes shone brightly up at me and I felt my breath hitch in my throat. Suddenly a scream erupted from behind me and I spun from Cullen. The large beast was thrashing around madly with electricity whipping around its body. Trevelyan was hit by a giant hand and lifted into the air. My feet moved automatically and I bolted towards the Demon. Zig-zagging through the scattered demons and soldiers. I stared up at Trevelyan as Leliana aimed an arrow at one of the Demons massive fingers. Trevelyan tried to pull his arms free, but the monster only gripped him tighter. Looking over I spotted the Lieutenant with a grappling hook and rope hanging from his hip and I bolted over to him. I snatched hold of a grappling hook and ran up to the Demon swinging it over my head before sending it forth. It wrapped itself around the Demons wrist and once it was hooked I yanked hard. The Demon, taken by surprise, was off balance and its wrist came towards the ground. It stopped its descent, however, and yanked me up and I gasped in surprise. Raising its wrist high above the ground so that I could be level with its gruesome face. I looked down at the ground as I held onto the rope and groaned holding it a bit tighter. _**Shit**_ _ **that's far**_. The monster roared in my face and my free hand scrambled for my dagger as the monster brought me towards its face. I slashed my dagger at its face and it cried out as a long gash cut through 2 of its eyes. I held onto the rope tight as its arms flailed and its hand opened and Trevelyan fell from its clutches. The rope swung and I caught him as he fell towards the ground his hand gripping my wrist tightly. I grimaced as his sudden weight cause my grip on the rope to slip a little. My hand burning as the threads of the rope dug into the bare skin of my palm. The Demon flailed its arm again and the rope whipped making my grip and Trevelyan's slip and we both hit the ground heavily. I grunted as I flipped onto my feet and checked Trevelyan who was slowly getting up and dusting himself off. He gripped his short sword in his hand and held it at the ready, his shield forgotten somewhere. The monster glared at me as it held its face angrily. He sent an electric pulse towards me and I rolled to the side avoiding it as soldiers burst past me attacking its feet once again. It swung its large armored arm and that's when I saw it, a crack in the armor and I grinned and searched for Varric among the soldiers. I saw him standing on a crumbled pile of wall aiming his crossbow at the large Demon.

"VARRIC! I'VE GOT A PLAN!" I cried out to him and he stared in confusion as I pointed at the crack in the Demons armor. His eyes lit up as he ran over to me staying back far enough the miss the Demons flailing arm. My eyes drew to the Commander who was running forward swiping his blade across the monsters feet the forgotten grappling rope whipping about a few feet above him. Varric loaded his bow with an explosive arrow moving it trying to aim for the Monsters weakness.

"I can't get a clear shot! It's moving too much!" He huffed and I devised a plan in my head to try and get him a clear shot. First I'd have to get up onto the monster, again. That thing was tall, but if I could get to the rope I could climb up it. An idea sprung into my mind. If I vaulted off of the Commander I could grab the rope and pull myself up and somehow get it to open up to a shot.

"Alright, just hang on!" I shouted as I ran forward and wove through the crowd of soldiers and saw Leliana, "Leliana tell everyone to stand back once I get up there!" She cocked her head in confusion,

"Up where!?" I didn't stop to answer her question as I burst forward towards the Commander, and took a step onto a high rock and planted my other foot onto the Commanders shoulder without warning and pushed off and grabbed the rope as it whipped right into my hand. I grinned in triumph and swung myself onto its monstrously large arm and looked down at Cullen for a split moment and shot him a smile with a two fingered salute before drawing my attention back to the Demon. It turned its nasty head towards me and it roared at me as it raised its claws and tried to swipe at me, but I dropped into a crouch to avoid it.

"EVERYONE STAND BACK!" I heard Leliana call out and I grinned to myself, but it fell as the monster moved its arm trying to get me off. I dropped down and gripped onto its rough armor and it growled at me unable to shake me off.

"VARRIC!?" I shouted, slightly nauseous from the shaking the monster was doing.

"STILL NO SHOT!" I groaned inwardly and looked down at the rope dangling from its wrist and then up at the demon and smirked. I pulled up the rope with my left hand and held the end of it as I ran up its arm. It scratched at me trying to stop me from running, but I dodged and continued to its shoulder and it reached its ugly arm up towards me.

"NOW?" I called back, as the arms flailed again and I barely held on.

"NOT YET!" I growled and scrambled up the shoulder with the rope in my hand and tied it to the end of it to a dagger. I swung around the back of its neck and pulled the rope with me. Quickly I tied the end of the rope to my dagger while dodging the hand of the arm that I was about to tie up. It brought its claw up, and I pulled the rope taught and drove the dagger in between its armored neck and shoulder. And then turned it sideways so that it couldn't pull the dagger from the crack. Ducking I leapt from my spot but the hand that was still free grabbed me by the foot and pulled me upside down. It howled as it tried to pull its other arm free, but couldn't. I smirked at it, and tried to pull my leg from its grip, but it squeezed my leg harder and I cried out in pain.

"VARRIC! ANY TIME NOW WOULD BE GREAT!" I shouted as I held my last dagger extended at the Demons' face. The monster opened its massive jaw and a dark chuckle poured out of its foul smelling mouth. I groaned in disgust as I dangled hopelessly, "Sweet Maker that stinks."

"GET OUT OF THERE QUINN!" He yelled back and I growled,

"NOW VARRIC!" An arrow sung by my head and I stared as it embedded itself into the crack of the armor. The Demons claws released me, but I gripped onto its hand and swung to the rope and gripped it at the back of the neck and cut it loose. Swinging from its arm I watched as it clawed at the hole in its armor trying to pull the ticking bomb out. It jerked its arm suddenly and I flew right at the ground as the rope snapped and I held my hand towards the ground and a rift opened up right in front of me and I fell through before another opened and I landed heavily on the ground with a grunt. I flipped over as the explosion went off over me and the Demon exploded outwards and I covered my face with my arms and waited for impact. None came. I opened my eyes and watched as it dissolved into the Fade rift above us. I blew out a whistle and stood. Looking around me I noticed the large crowd of soldiers that have surrounded me. The Commander pushed through as did Cassandra, Varric and Trevelyan. All of them stared at me in awe as I panted and put my hands on my hips. "That wasn't so tough. Piece of cake." I huffed out and I saw Cassandra rolled her eyes and the Commander snorted with laughter.

"You could have gotten yourself killed, Thedran." She reprimanded and I took a deep breath and let out a breathy laugh.

"But, I didn't." I shot back with a smirk. Exasperatedly she threw up her hands and spun on her heels.

"You're as crazy as I remember, Angel." He said with a chuckle and I grinned at him, but felt my leg jolt in pain and I looked down at it and grimaced when I saw the blood running from my outer mid-thigh. _When did that happen?_ I thought to myself and shifted all weight onto my right leg. Varric looked at the wound as well and then back up at me. "Hang on, I'll go get Chuckles." He hurried off and I tried to keep all weight off of my hurt leg as I waited for 'Chuckles'.

"SEAL THE BREACH!" Cassandra cried as she brought us back to reality with a start. My eyes snapped up to the Breach just as Trevelyan walked up next to me. He gave me a short smile before looking ahead as well. We both knew I couldn't close rifts, he'd have to try this alone. I was useless once again.

"Good luck." I said with a nervous smile and he nodded in response as he moved forward a couple more steps and raised his hand. A familiar green beam shot into the Fade and he seemed fine for a few moments, but he started to shake violently. Varric was back with the elf from before, Solas I believe his name was, and he nodded to me before looking down at my leg and his hands lit up a strange color of blue. He worked on my leg, but my eyes flew to Trevelyan as he let out a howl of pain and sunk to the ground on one knee. I thought he could close these things!? Why was it hurting him? I thought for a moment and then I figured it out. "It's too much for him." I whispered and before I could think I broke away from Solas's ministrations hobbled towards Trevelyan. He looked like death warmed up as he stared at me in confusion. Giving him a short smile I then turned my eyes towards the rift. My hand snapped up towards the sky my own green bolt flashing up into the Fade. For a moment there was no pain, and then I felt a scream ripple through my throat as excruciating pain electrified my blood. I grabbed my hand and snapped my eyes shut and clenched my jaw, willing myself to not scream again as waves of pain crashed against me.

"Quinn-STOP! I'll be fine! JUST STOP!" Trevelyan screamed at me, but I couldn't, not even if I tried. There was a pull from the Fade so strong I felt like I was about to be sucked into it. I opened my eyes slightly and saw him now standing his color slightly back. I was helping! I had to keep going.

"YOU DON'T KNOW THAT!" I yelled at him, and his worried green eyes held mine for a moment before a new wave of pain flashed through me and I bit back a scream. It felt like my organs were being lit on fire. My heart rammed in my chest painfully. I could barely breathe, but it appeared that I didn't have to, because in that moment a final great pulse left my hand leaving me breathless. A greater pain than any other I'd felt thus far rolled through me and I crumbled when the Fade released me. I looked up at the Fade as it pulsed with green power and then suddenly shot up into the Breach. The rift above us was sealed, but the Breach was still there. Through my hazy eyes I looked over to Trevelyan who was lying unconscious on the ground. I moved towards him and pulled two fingers to his neck and smiled. He was alive, his pulse was slow, but he was alive! I looked up to see people in front of me all staring once again. _Is that all these people do?_ Cassandra pushed to the front as she walked towards us.

"Is he alright?" I stared at her ignoring the exhaustion that was consuming me and nodded. She now stood in front of me. "You are hurt, you need medical attention." She added as I wobbled lightly, and I nodded slowly as I warily stared up at her from my sitting position. "Now."

"Him first." I mumbled and she called over two soldiers who had a makeshift gurney ready and slid him onto it before picking him up. She looked to me and offered me her hand with a stern face. I bit back the sarcastic comment that was threatening to come out, and I took her hand and she hoisted me up and steadied me.

"I'll take him back to Haven." I nodded stiffly, but stood stalk still scared that if I moved even one more muscle that I would collapse. My hand was vibrating at my side, but I tried to ignore it as my eyes lulled shut for a moment. I wobbled and before I even fell I felt an arm around my waist and my arm pulled around a shoulder. My eyes snapped open and I looked to see Leliana holding me up.

"You looked as if you needed some help, my friend." She mused and I grinned sleepily at her as I shrugged,

"You know…now that you mention it a piggy back ride sounds amazing." I joked and she chuckled quietly,

"I am not sure if I'd be able to, but maybe the Commander could-"I glared at her half-halfheartedly,

"Leli….no more playing matchmaker. Remember last time?" Her head fell back as she laughed and nodded to me as we walked towards the exit.

"Yes, I do. What was that poor souls' name again?" I shook my head as I looked around the Temple as we exited.

"I believe it was Desmond?" We both laughed and she pulled me along towards the camp. As we were growing closer I could feel myself weakening, and much to my displeasure my legs gave out on her and she jerked trying to catch me. My head was so fuzzy and the exhaustion was setting in heavily. Abruptly, but gently I was hoisted up and tucked safely in a pair of arms. The world was spinning around me and I felt nauseous. "Thank you, Leli." I said lazily as my head flopped against a very big toned muscular arm and my eyes flew open. "You're not Leli." I murmured and I heard a chuckle resonate from above me. I stared up at Cullen as he grinned down at me and I felt a small smile come to my face before I heard a light laugh.

"Quinn, dear, we are almost back to camp." I nodded and my head lobbed over to where the sound of Leliana's voice came from and saw her walking just ahead of us.

"That's good. I'm getting sleepy." I whispered to myself and I snuggled closer into the Commanders chest too tired to care about embarrassing myself. He stiffened however and I heard another muffled laugh. But no one spoke up, and I felt myself drifting away in his arms again. I could definitely get used to this.

"We're here, My Lady." My eyes refused to open and I couldn't put together any coherent sentences in my head.

"Put her down on the bed, and let the healers help her." Leliana said from behind us and I felt myself being lightly placed down on the bed and I managed to open my eyes just long enough to see the Commanders face inches from mine. Perhaps it was the exhaustion but he looked like an angel in the pale candlelight. He moved away and I watched him go as two healers rushed to my side. He turned to me before leaving and I saw him holding the door open his golden eyes fixed on my blue before walking out. The world swirled with darkness and I let the exhaustion take me.

 _Stalking through the buildings I saw myself in the reflection of the glass windows and for a moment I hardly noticed myself. My auburn hair wound into a tight braid, my hood shrouding most of my face as I moved through the shadows and my black and red tight fitting uniform clinging to my every curve. I moved past it and saw a person shoot past me and I grinned at the person, but felt a sense of dread as well._

" _Quinn leave admiring you up to me." I playfully glared at the black haired man in front of me._

" _Well, Tayen, perhaps you need to do more admiring?" He barked a laugh as he ran with me before stopping and planting a kiss on my lips. I smiled happily, but suddenly I felt a slickness against my hand and I opened my eyes to see him spitting up blood in front of me and he grabbed his chest._

" _Why did you do this to me?" I backed away from him and he grabbed for me and I jumped further away from him._

" _Tayen, no." I whispered as he collapsed onto the ground and I dropped to my knees with him. His bright blue eyes welled up with fresh tears as he reached up to touch my cheek._

" _I loved you." Tears poured down my cheeks, and I wiped them away immediately._

" _I loved you too. But, I had no choice." I cried as I held his dying form, but suddenly the white of his eyes filled in black and he launched forward at me-_

I jolted awake gasping for air. My heart pounding in my chest feeling as if it were full of lead as it rammed against my ribs. I pulled a balled fist against my chest as I tried to control my breathing and rocked myself slightly trying my hardest to calm down. Tayen...I held back the tears that threatened my eyes, it's been almost 3 years since then. Why won't it stop haunting me?

"Oh! You're awake…" My head snapped to the side and I stared at the sitting form of the Commander and stared in confusion. "You were…I was- are you alright?" I looked him over hoping he didn't notice my distress, but knowing full well he did.

"I'm fine, just a dream." I muttered as I turned onto my side. My mind flashed back to the events that happened just before I passed out. The Demons, the rift, saving Cullen, and- "The Breach!" I exclaimed and jerked, but he held up his hands and I stared at him in confusion as I eased back down against the bed.

"Is stable, but not closed." I closed my eyes in annoyance, _damn it_.

"Of course it's not. That would be too easy." I commented sarcastically mostly to myself, and he nodded a sympathetic smile on his face. My eyes slid from him over to a plate of food that was sitting on a small table next to him. "Did you bring me food?" I asked and he looked to the food and then nodded slowly not looking back at me yet.

"Yes…I figured you might be hungry when you woke." I smiled at him and he offered me a smile back as I stared hungrily at the food. He abruptly stood and brought the food over to me and I sat up stiffly trying not to move too much. He sat it next to me on the bed before retreating back to his chair. The food wafted into my nose making my stomach rumble and mouth water. In that instant I didn't care who was looking as I dug in to the mound of food satisfying my aching belly. I bit into the apple in my hand and I smiled to myself happily.

"Maker I love apples. There was a large portion of my life where basically all I ate was apples." I said with a laugh and he chuckled as well. I looked down at the plate of food and noticed there was still so much food left on the plate so I motioned for him to have some. "Have you eaten? There's plenty left." He tilted his head to the side some of his blonde hair falling into his face as he did so.

"Oh, no I've already eaten. But thank you." I smiled at him and placed the plate of food next to me on the bed and took another bit of my apple. "Also, thank you for saving my life. I'm still not quite sure how you did it, but I'm lucky you did." I waved my hand at him with a grin,

"Don't worry about it, I'm excellent at saving damsels in distress." He chuckled and ran a gloved hand through his hair.

"A Damsel? I do believe this is the first time I've ever been given that title." Was he joking back? My eyes widened and I snorted with laughter. Abruptly we both burst out into a fit of laughter.

"Yes, well you played the role right well. Better than most." I added with a laugh and his chuckle subsided and he looked towards the door and he cleared his throat.

"Oh, Cassandra has called for a meeting in the Chantry. Trevelyan, Leliana and Josephine are waiting on us. " I smiled and inclined my head to him as he stood. I swung my legs over the bed, and suddenly felt very woozy. Bringing my hand to my head I held it there for a moment. "Are you alright?" He asked and I heard his footsteps approach and I looked up at him, but dropped my head again and pushed myself up away from the bed, but hit something in front of me and a pair of hands gripped my biceps. Looking up from under my eyelashes I saw Cullen staring down at me with those beautiful whiskey colored eyes. A musky spiced scent with the faintest hint of citrus wafted around me I couldn't help but melt just a little. "Am I going to have to carry you again?" He asked with a smirk and I rolled my eyes.

"No, I already feel pathetic enough having passed out in your arms twice already." I retorted playfully with a smirk and he chuckled softly and let me go so I could stand on my own. "Plus you wouldn't want to break any more of the women's hearts around here, at least no more than you already have." I commented with a smirk as he backed away from me he looked me up once to make sure I wasn't going to collapse. A shy smile spread across his scarred lips and a hand went to the back of his head and rubbed it while looking away.

"We should go, they are waiting." I smiled and looked over towards the door and nodded.

"Alright, let's go." I agreed and walked behind him and he opened the door for me. Feeling the sudden blast of cold air on my skin made me shudder and wrap my arms around myself as I walked out around him. I huffed out a breath,

"This place is a frigging icebox." I muttered through shivers, and he chuckled. I glared up at him and he held up his hand to rub his stubble ,

"Indeed. I guess we will have to get you some warmer clothes. I believe if you talk to Harrit he could make you something." I nodded as I walked with him towards the chantry and couldn't help but notice the lines of men and women that were watching us in awe.

"See Cullen, look at all your admirers they are literally lining up for you." Another slightly louder chuckle came from him.

"They are not mine." He said with a smirk and I looked at them and then back at him,

"MINE?" I practically shouted and he nodded with an amused smile.

"Your actions at the Breach have caused quite the stir among the people here." I felt my heart start to pound fast in my chest and my cheeks were aflame. This had happened to me before, and I hated every minute of it. The people knowing you part and the connections weren't bad, but the awed fans creeped me out. "You are a hero to these people, and to the world." I groaned and slapped my forehead,

"Makers Balls…" I muttered and looked back at them, "Surely they know I wasn't the one that stabilized the Breach. That was Trevelyan! I couldn't even close a little one." He nodded in agreement,

"But you did save my life and Trevelyan's as well as destroying the Demon…" I shook my head and looked down at my mark as we continued towards the Chantry.

"That was Varric-"He raised an eye brow at me,

"He may have taken the shot, but it was you who noticed the crack, and gave him the shot. We lost a lot of men that day, but it would've been more had you not done what you did." I grimaced and looked at the people who were whispering and smiling at me.

"Huh, well they certainly change their minds fast. I believe only a day ago they wanted to burn me at the stake." He chuckled and grinned at me,

"Yes, well you had a very incriminating situation." I snorted with laughter as we walked up the steps of the Chantry and he pushed the doors open and we walked in. I looked around the dimly lit area and inhaled the sweet smell of incense and candle smoke. The Chantry was empty, thank the Maker, as we walked together all the way to the end of the building and he stopped and opened another door for me. I smiled and thanked him as I moved past him and into the small room. Looking inside the room I saw a large table in the middle of the room and around the table was Trevelyan, Cassandra, Leliana, and another woman. Antivan by the look of her.

"Ah, Good now we can start." Leliana said with a smile as Cullen crossed the room and stood in the middle of the table opposite to Cassandra, Trevelyan and I. I looked at Trevelyan who gave me a friendly smile and wave. I smiled back at him sending a small wave back before turning my attention to Cassandra who folded her arms to regard Trevelyan.

"I believe you have already met Commander Cullen." I turned to him with a grin and Trevelyan regarded him politely as they exchanged glances.

"It was only a moment on the field, I'm pleased you survived." Cullen said cordially as he inclined his head to Trevelyan. Trevelyan nodded back as Cassandra continued.

"This is Lady Josephine Montiliyet our Ambassador and Chief Diplomat." She looked to each of us politely and inclined her head with a smile.

"A pleasure to meet you both." I nodded back to her with a smile.

"And of course you know Sister Leliana." Leliana eyes washed over me for a moment before settling on Trevelyan.

"My position here involves a degree of…" Leliana began, but it seemed she couldn't quite find the words that fit.

"She is our spymaster." Cassandra filled in forcing a grin onto my face,

"Yes, tactfully put Cassandra." Leliana seemed to share my amusement and I stifled a laugh, tactfully put indeed.

"Pleased to meet you all." Trevelyan said with a smile and I nodded along with him as I leant against the back wall. I watched Trevelyan closely he seemed to be rather chipper considering what we'd just gone through. He was tough, I'd give him that.

"I mentioned that your mark needs more power to close the Breach for good." Cassandra said addressing Trevelyan and I focused on her suddenly feeling like a complete outsider. They didn't need me, they needed Trevelyan. Why was I even here? All I need to do is protect him, I didn't need briefing on that.

"Which means me must approach the rebel mages for help." I snapped back to attention. The Mages!? A rush of emotion hit me like an angry wave and the nightmare played in my head again. _Tayen._ A little voice whispered in the back of my mind, but I tried my best to ignore it and stay focused. The Commander across from me stiffened and shook his head gripping the pommel. Nervous habit perhaps?

"I still disagree. The Templars could serve just as well." He rumbled and I stared at him and wondered if he once had to do the same thing I did. He was a Templar after all, he probably had to deal with that kind of thing before.

"We need power Commander. Enough magic poured into that mark." Cassandra drawled as she cast a defiant gaze at the Commander and I stiffened the memories wouldn't stop flashing in front of my eyes. _You killed the man you loved._ My mind seethed at me and I balled my hands into fists, but what I didn't expect was the Commander to look at me and I saw a look of concern cross his eyes before looking back at Cassandra.

"Might destroy us all. Templars could suppress the Breach, weaken it so-"He protested, but Leliana cut him off.

"Pure Speculation." Her words were final, but the Commander insisted.

"I was a Templar, I know what they're capable of." I felt sympathy for him, they weren't truly listening to him. So I decided to speak up.

"I agree with the Commander. I have fought among Templars before, they are excellent fighters and they can suppress magic, and the Breach is magic so logically speaking, he is correct." I said confidently trying to hide my unease. Cullen looked at me with curiosity and I shrugged and looked towards the others who raised an eye brow at me. Even Trevelyan was staring, Josephine thankfully broke the momentary silence.

"Unfortunately neither group will speak to us yet. The Chantry has denounced the Inquisition, and you two specifically." She said her voice calm, but with a sense of underlying dread. I rolled my eyes, who cares about the Chantry?

"Can't you simply ignore them?" Trevelyan asked and I grinned as he voiced my own thoughts. But, Leliana only shook her head at him.

"If only that were possible." She said with an annoyed tone. I grumbled lightly, I mean we could. I highly doubt they'd hate us anymore than they already do.

"Some are calling you the Herald of Andraste," Josephine explained looking to Trevelyan before turning to me and adding, "…and you the Herald's Protector. That frightens the Chantry. The remaining clerics have declared it blasphemy and we heretics for harboring you." I was only half listening at the moment my mind still stuck on the Mages. My heart beating rapidly in my chest. Wait-what did she just call me? The Herald's Protector? And Trevelyan was the Herald of Andraste!? What in the Void was that bull?

"Chancellor Rodericks doing no doubt." Cullen's voice pulled me from my thoughts and I looked at him and then to Josephine.

"It limits our options. Approaching the Mages or Templars is currently out of the question." She said calmly and I stared between everyone amazed at how no one seemed to question our new titles.

"The Herald of Andraste?" Trevelyan asked incredulously and looked at me a faint pink line spreading across his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. "And the Herald's Protector?" He asked as he regarded me and I shrugged dumbfounded, mine made some sense, but his now that was out there. Cullen looked at us both,

"Quite the titles, what do you think of them?" He asked and I couldn't help but let out a snort of laughter.

"I think it's the last time anyone should allow Varric to have a say in picking titles." I commented sarcastically and heard the room erupt into a short laugh. Looking over I noticed Trevelyan switch back to a serious look.

"Will the Chantry attack us?" His tone serious if not a little worried,

"With what? They have only their words." Cullen grunted and I eyed him for a moment contemplating his words. The Chantry could do a lot with just their words.

"And yet they can still bury us." Trevelyan nodded to her and Cullen seemed to be completely annoyed by the conversation. He wasn't alone, I say we send the Chantry a letter that simply addresses that they are idiots in big hats. I guess that's why Josephine is here, so she can say just that but in fancier and nicer words than I can.

"There is something you can do." Leliana said drawing me back to the conversation. "A Chantry Cleric by the name of Mother Giselle has asked to speak with you." She said to Trevelyan and then to me, "Both of you. She is not far and knows those involved far better than I. Her assistance could be invaluable." I nodded standing a bit straighter and felt a bit of déjà vu in that moment. Just like old times. She grinned at me seemingly feeling the same way.

"I'll see what she has to say." Trevelyan responded with a stern nod.

"You'll find her tending the wounded in the Hinterlands near Redcliffe." Leliana added, picking up a stack of papers in front of her.

"Look for other opportunities to expand the Inquisitions influence while you're there." Cullen added and we both nodded to each other.

"We need agents to extend our reach beyond this valley and you're better suited than anyone to recruit them." Josephine advised,

"In the meantime, let's think of other options I won't leave this all to them." Cassandra interjected just before the meeting ended and Trevelyan caught up to me as I exited the room first.

"Hey! Quinn wait up!" I stopped and turned to him as he gave me short smile, "I didn't get to thank you for saving me the day we tried to close the Breach. The doctor told me you almost died from it, and I-can't thank you enough. I was sure I was a goner." I smiled at him and he smiled back,

"Don't mention it, I am the Herald's Protector after all. Besides I told you I'd get you out of it alive." I said jokingly, but suddenly he enveloped me in his arms and I sucked in a breath. My eyes wide in confusion as he squeezed and I patted his back awkwardly a blush threatening my cheeks. Looking over Trevelyan's shoulder I saw Cullen staring with a quirked eye brow his hand full of letters frozen in place at his chest like he was reading it just moment ago. Sending him a bemused smile I then shrugged and felt Trevelyan let me go.

"I'm sorry I'm just very grateful for what you did for me and I don't know how else to express my gratitude." I laughed and he did as well, it was a fairly nice hug.

"Don't be sorry, I'm just glad I don't have to protect a total prig." He chuckled and awkwardly rubbed his hands together,

"Well, I…uh…have to go prepare for our trip to the Hinterlands. Cassandra says that we'll be leaving tomorrow morning." I nodded to him and he smiled before rushing out of the Chantry. He stopped at the door and turned back to me, "Oh, would you like to spar later? I asked Cassandra, but she has a lot of things to attend to." I thought on it for a moment and shrugged,

"Sure! Meet you later?" He nodded enthusiastically and jogged out of the Chantry doors. I chuckled at his retreating form, _He's an odd one._ I mused to myself and looked over my shoulder to see where the Commander had gone and noticed him talking to a man dressed in a scout uniform.

"Funny one, the Herald." I jumped and turned to Leli who laughed at me,

"Andraste's tits Leli! Are you trying to give me a heart attack!?" I reprimanded her and she rolled her eyes at me. "When in the Maker's name did you get there anyway?!" She scoffed and cast a knowing glance towards Cullen.

"While you ogling our Commander." She stated bluntly and I glared at her,

"I wasn't ogling!" I whispered harshly at her and she laughed.

"Of course you weren't." She agreed before smirking at me and adding, "It's alright, he ogles you also." Was she teasing me!?-Wait, really? _Hot damn!_ I composed myself and folded my arms over my chest.

"Did you want something Leli? Other than to tease me?" She nodded and started to walk out of the Chantry and I followed her.

"Come by my tent tonight I have matters to discuss with you." She said quietly and seriously making my grin fall, but I nodded to her to show I understood.

"Of course, Lady Nightingale." I replied stiffly. _Well that's never a good sign._


	5. Chapter 5

Heading down the steps of the Chantry I felt a particularly cold burst of wind rush past me and I shivered violently. _Damn it, I hate the cold_! I cursed the wind and it seemed to blow harder as if it were offended by my thoughts. I glared up at the sky in response and pulled my arms tighter around me. I wonder where that Harrit man Cullen spoke of earlier is.

"Oh-My Lady!" My eyes snapped to the Lieutenant Rylen who was standing in front of me looking as if he'd just noticed me. The hand that was not clutching papers balled into a fist and placed it upon his chest. I nodded awkwardly, and gave him a smile.

"Lieutenant Rylen, how are you today?" He pulled his hand from his chest and looked down at the papers before dropping them to his hip.

"Good, My Lady. I was looking for the Commander, have you seen him?" I smiled and pointed over my shoulder with my thumb,

"He's-"I started, but noticed Ser Rylen straighten and I heard a voice cut into the conversation,

"Right here. Did you need something Lieutenant?" I looked over and saw Cullen walking down the steps his back straight and hands behind his back. Dare I say it he looked intimidating in that moment just by his stature. Commanding people's attention without even trying. Staring for a moment at Cullen I noticed his eyes looked tired and wondered why. Perhaps he's just had a long day? It was about mid-afternoon after all, and I imagine he'd be the type to be an early bird. Not to mention all the soldiers he was held responsible for. Averting my eyes I turned back to Rylen who quickly handed the papers over to him as he reached the ground next to me. He looked over the papers lifting up the first page before nodding and looking back to Ser Rylen. "Thank you Lieutenant." Cullen said and I looked to Rylen. His shaggy brown hair falling gently to his forehead as he once again planted his fist to his chest and turned quickly on his heels. "Were you waiting for me? If so, I'm sorry to keep you waiting, My Lady." I felt a blush creep up to my cheeks and I held my breath for a moment before turning my head to him.

"Oh no, I was trying to find the man named Harrit you mentioned earlier." I said as another cold blast hit me and he nodded quickly.

"Come, I'll show you where it is." I clutched my arms as I walked with the Commander down the path towards what looked like the front of the camp. "Were you alright earlier? In the meeting?" I felt my heart jolt in my chest in dread as the nightmare from this morning flashed in front of my eyes again for what felt like the millionth time. "My Lady?" I vaguely heard him say as I heard Tayen's words replay in my mind. "Quinn?" I snapped back to attention and looked over to him trying to hide my inner turmoil.

"Yes?" I asked and he scrunched his eye brows together and watched me for a moment. "Oh, yes I was fine, my hand was just starting to hurt again. Nothing serious." I lied coolly and he eyed me carefully for a moment before nodding and looking back ahead of us. I wonder if he knew I was lying, or if he thought that maybe I was lying about the pain…

"Perhaps I should get Solas to come check up on it anyway. It could feel like nothing, but it might be a problem." I sucked in a breath at his proposition and shook my head.

"No, really it's fine." I said and then held it up towards him, "See. Perfectly fine." He stopped and held my hand in his larger gloved one and inspected it for a moment, and I wished that he wasn't wearing his gauntlets. He looked down at me after dropping my hand and I gave him a wide cheesy smile. He shook his head a small smile stretching his pale pink lips. I pulled my hand back to my side and he pushed open the Gate allowing me to walk around him. Ahead of us were troops practicing striking and blocking, and some other maneuvers. I stared at them for a moment I watched their movements with a smile on my face. I wonder if that's where Trevelyan wanted to train… Cullen however, started to walk in the opposite direction.

"Those are the training grounds where you'll train if you wish to." He said off-handedly as if reading my mind. He raised a hand towards it, and then motioned ahead of us. "That is the blacksmith where you will find Harrit." I smiled and turned back to where he was standing.

"Anyone can train there?" He nodded and lifted an eye brow at me,

"Of course, it is open to all. Our soldiers just primarily use that one area." I grinned and shifted my weight to look at him,

"So you train there?" He lifted his other eye brow and a small unsure smile came onto his face.

"I-well sometimes. Mostly I overlook the progression of our troops training." I smiled before looking towards the training yard and placing my hands on my hips.

"Maybe you'd like to spar sometime?" His lip quirked up making his scar twitch, "You know just when you're bored or feel like losing a fight." He barked with laughter,

"I'm afraid that is something I cannot do." He said cordially and I felt like there was a bubble of happiness and he just popped it. Deflated and dejected I nodded, trying my best to internally and extremely blow it off, but saw his lip quirk up into a secretive smile. "Because I don't lose." He stated calmly with a smirk. I glared at him playfully the feeling of being completely rejected by him gone.

"Oh you don't?" I asked a laugh bubbling up through my throat, "You seem pretty confident in your abilities, Commander. Perhaps we shouldn't then? I would not wish to damage your ego." He folded his arms across his chest, a toothy grin splitting his handsome face.

"I do believe that sounds like a challenge, My Lady." I grinned cheekily,

"It should. In fact, I, Quinn Thedran, challenge you Cullen…er-"

"Rutherford." He filled in and I felt a familiarity from the name and squinted trying to remember where I'd heard that name before. For some reason a woman, dirty blonde hair and chocolate eyes and a kind smile flashed before my eyes. Who was she?

"Rutherford, huh?" I mumbled looking up at him not missing the slightly worried look he had on his face. Putting it aside for the moment I smiled up at him. "Anyway, I Quinn Thedran, challenge you Cullen Rutherford to a duel. Loser owes the Winner two favors. Any two favors." I grinned at him and he lifted an eye brow before sticking his hand out,

"Alright you have a deal." I took his hand and smirked at him. "Now, let's go talk to Harrit before you catch your death." He ordered and I straightened up and gave him a two fingered salute.

"Aye, aye Commander Ser!" He shot me a bemused smile before we both moved closer to the blacksmith's large open shack. I grinned to myself as I looked around before I saw a man with a beard and a bald head walk towards me.

"Commander, how can I help you?" The man asked in a gruff voice, not yet acknowledging me.

"Hello, Harrit. The Lady Protector needs some warm armor and new weapons." Harrit turned to me and inclined his head,

"My Lady, I have already prepared some things for you. Lady Nightingale came here with your measurements and said that you liked light armor and she threw in something special for you. Might just be my favorite part of the piece. Also she had me make you some proper daggers." I felt a smile quirk at my lips. _Thank you Leli._ Harrit walked away to retrieve a crate, and held returned holding it out to me and smiled, "Hope you like it." I smiled politely at him and took the crate from him,

"I'm positive I will. Thank you, Harrit." He smiled back,

"If you need anything further, just come find me here." I smiled at him and looked down at the crate before walking out next to Cullen. We walked towards the front gate and I smiled.

"I'm going to go put these on. Can you keep a look out for Trevelyan?" Cullen nodded with his hands behind his back. "Good, I'll be back." I said and ran off turning left immediately after the gate.

"Your cabin is the other way!" I heard him shout and I awkwardly ran the other way.

"Thank you!" I called back and saw him shaking his head at me an amused smile gracing his face. I moved through the buildings and found the cabin that was mine and walked in. Quickly checking to make sure no one was in there I placed the crate down on the bed and opened it. The first thing I saw were the daggers. Standard daggers with nice grips. I grinned to myself as I balanced them in my hands before placing them delicately down onto the bed next to the box. Next, I pulled the armor and smiled at it. It was rather nice. A black leather overcoat with a metal plate that clamps over the chest and long sleeves. A sleeveless white linen shirt that looked somewhat tight fitting, and a pair of black leather breaches to match, and a pair of knee high white Nugskin boots. Underneath however I saw a soft looking deep red material and I grabbed it and held it up. A cloak. I grinned, it was red my favorite color. It was long probably would hit the floor when I walked, and had a hood that was lined with pale silver fur. I quickly stripped the clothing I was wearing and pulled on the armor clasping everything in place before pulling on the cloak around my person and noticed the clasp made a dagger. I stared at it in awe, it was beautiful. I looked over and grabbed my daggers and tucked them into the loopholes on the breaches. I grinned to myself and turned to the mirror looking myself over. Dragging my hair into a high ponytail I smiled satisfied by my appearance and grabbed the door handle. Walking out of the cabin I set back out for the training grounds, I'd thank Leli for everything when I see here tonight, but I also didn't want to keep Trevelyan waiting on me, if he was even there. Continuing down the staircase I then walked out of Haven's Gate. Looking around the training grounds I spotted the Commander first, talking to a scout who handed him a clipboard. Walking over to him I noticed the scout that was facing the Commander look over to me and stare; I recognized him immediately. He was one of the troops that was with Cullen when he found Trevelyan and I. Shooting him a smile I saw Cullen follow his stare and looked me up before he locked eyes with me. I felt suddenly self-conscious under his stare and a pink tint shot across his cheeks before he looked back over to the recruit.

"You're dismissed." Cullen told the recruit who nodded quickly and looked back over to me and smiled. The scout bounded up to me and saluted. I smiled at him awkwardly and saluted him back. His smile grew and he dropped his hand.

"Lady Protector!" He said excitedly and I smiled awkwardly,

"Hello-" He smiled brightly at me,

"Jim! I-I heard the soldiers, they can't stop talking about you! I heard there was a Demon! A hundred feet tall and you climbed up it to save the Herald and then killed it all by yourself!" My eyes widened and felt a blush starting to heat my cheeks. _How preposterous._ His eyes wide with excitement as he regarded me. Looking him over for a moment trying to figure out something to say I noticed he looked about 18 or maybe that was simply because he was so awestruck at the moment. Finding my words I shook my head to him.

"No, the credit should go to Master Tethras. He took the killing shot." He unexpectedly grinned wider at me and looked back at the Commander who was standing with a disapproving look plastered on his face towards Jim. I bit my lip to try and not giggle at this situation, my cheeks still threatening to burn bright red. Cullen's blazing stare still held on Jim as he continued his onslaught of excited questions.

"They said you came through a rift to save the Commander's life! Is that true?" My eyes widened a fraction and I looked over at Cullen once again, a coy smile pulling at my lips as I settled onto my back leg, the pink twinge of embarrassment spreading to my ears.

"Now that is completely true." I answered no longer looking at Jim. An eyebrow lifted on the Commanders forehead and a smirk played at his lips before his eyes widened a bit and he looked away a twinge of red embarrassment filling in his sun kissed cheeks. He suddenly looked very busy ordering soldiers with different commands. I looked back to Jim who was practically vibrating with excitement.

"I knew it!" He whispered to himself triumphantly and he smiled brightly up at me. "Alright, bye!" He said quickly giving me a quick salute before turning and heading over to a table nearby and instantly talking to a woman. I looked over at the Commander who was no longer looking at me instead he seemed to be fussing at a nearby recruit who dropped his shield by accident. Sauntering over towards him and he looked over and I pointed over my shoulder towards where Jim was and smiled.

"It appears you have a fan." Cullen said with a frown and I tilted my head to him in confusion, "I hope he didn't annoy you. I will have to have a chat with him-"I swatted his arm,

"Don't you dare, he was sweet." Cullen shot me an incredulous look,

"'Sweet'?" He scoffed searching for Jim among the troops. I shook my head and grinned,

"An odd sort of sweet." I explained with a grin. Cullen's eyes fell on me and he shook his head before looking past me as a hand placed itself on my shoulder. I twirled around and saw Trevelyan standing there sheepishly dropping his arm back to his side.

"Hello, sorry I didn't mean to startle you." I breathed out and smiled at him, "Wow, nice armor." He commented and I felt my eye brows lift and I stared at him for a moment.

"Thank you. Yours looks nice as well." I said with a small smile as I looked him over. He had shining armor with a metal a circular shield strapped to his back, a short sword dangling from his hip. His brown hair mussed just the slightest, and his green eyes sparkling in the sun. He awkwardly started to fiddle with his belt before giving me a smile.

"I just wanted to know if you'd like to go and spar now. If you weren't busy, of course." I stiffly turned my head shortly to spot the Commander who had disappeared into the crowd of soldiers and I turned back to Trevelyan with a nod,

"You're on Trevelyan." He grinned and we walked over to a training area devoid of any people. I smiled as we stepped into a ring made from fence posts. Pulling my cloak off, I delicately placed it on the post so that it wouldn't get damaged. Turning to him I rested my hands on my twin daggers as he pulled his sword from its sheath. "Are you ready?" He shifted into a comfortable stance and he looked down at his sword,

"I was actually wondering if you could help me with some things. Cassandra told me I was 'lacking in a few areas' since I'm lacking a lot of field experience and some other things…" he said slowly sounding very embarrassed. I grimaced at that, Cassandra could be so rude, he probably wasn't even that bad. I pulled my daggers from their loops and held my loosely in my hands. "Just tell me what I might be doing wrong, and don't hold back, okay?" I nodded to him and pulled my daggers up towards him,

"Let's see what you've got, Herald." He grinned and got into a stance as well. I looked him over and first noticed his shield was held a too far away from his body. A well placed arrow would prove that shield useless. Also, his hands too tight on his sword, but that might just be nerves. I watched as he approached and watched his steps. He mostly knew what he was doing. He swung his blade and I side stepped it quickly, and then ducked underneath of another swing of his sword not yet attacking, just dodging to watch his footsteps. Plus I was a bit worried about attacking him, he was leaving himself wide open on his left side. I continued to dodge and it seemed to be annoying him a bit. I grinned, and he swung his blade down towards my head and I held my blades up to stop the attack. Our weapons clanged together and swiftly I moved my foot between his legs and kicked causing him to tumble to the ground. He rolled backwards and onto his knees before standing his shield and sword in place. I assumed my defensive position with a relaxed demeanor, and he rushed me. I twisted around him caught his blade to the side with a dagger and pressed my other dagger against the left portion of his rib cage. He seized up and stared at me turning his head to the side to look at me. Dropping his sword back down to his side he panted heavily.

"You're leaving your left side open. When you are not attacking make sure you keep your arms in tight. Also, your shield is too far out, you need to keep that close to you, and just under your line of sight." He nodded affirmatively and I backed away and noticed him pull his arms in tight around him and I grinned. "Also, don't forget about your back, try to keep your enemy in front of you at all times." He nodded and raised his sword as he charged once again and I moved around him swiftly dodging his blow and kicked him in his back. He stumbled forward before whipping around and staring at me before nodding and stood stiffly waiting for me to attack. I huffed, _I hate making the first move._ I smirked, but ran forward and he moved forward as well his shield coming forward to block the attack as his sword sliced through the air down at me. I slid through his legs, his blade missing completely and planted my foot into the ground so that I'd pop up into a stand right behind him. Now standing behind him I placed the dagger to the back of his neck, but he twirled and knocked my arm away and I smirked at him as he swung his sword at me. Quickly I raised the daggers up to stop the blow, and as my twin knives caught his blade he brought his shield forward and tried to bash me with it. I dodged the shield and brought a dagger towards his heart, and stopped right before it touched him. He glared down at me and I pulled the dagger back and he swung his sword again. Grinning I tried the same thing I did earlier to see if he'd learned. Spinning to his left side to dodge the sword I brought the dagger towards his left side, but he twisted and brought his shield towards me to hit me with. I laughed as I flipped away from him and stood straight and clapped. "Great Job, Trevelyan! You learn fast!" I praised and he dropped his fighting stance and smiled brightly at me.

"Thanks! But, not quick enough I couldn't even land a blow on you! You're too fast!" I grinned at his compliment and looked down at my daggers before clearing my throat.

"Do you want to keep going?" He nodded quickly and held up his sword again with a smile. I grinned at him and held up my daggers at the ready. "Alright, let's go then!" I challenged and he smirked and swung his sword forward, then pulled his shield towards me to trap me. I ducked down when he brought forward his sword and rolled to the side before bounding up beside him and bringing my blade to side of his neck, "Got ya!'" He backed away and circled me. I grinned staying in one place as he moved behind me his sword held flat in his hand pointed towards me. "So, Trevelyan, where are you from?" I asked, I still didn't know much about him and he was pointing a sword at me. He was behind me a few paces. I still had my back to him waiting for the attack.

"Ostwick, yourself?" My eyes opened wide as I heard the strike coming and I twirled to the opposite side and grinned as I faced him and he poised his sword again,

"Val Foret." I said and his eye brows scrunched together.

"You're Orlesian? You don't seem Orlesian." I grinned as I held my left dagger up towards him and he squinted his eyes in concentration.

"You are too kind to me, Herald." I teased as I circled him this time and he blushed a bit before laughing. I watched as he turned as I moved in and brought my daggers down towards him being careful not to aim anywhere I could actually hurt him. He was pretty okay, but he had a lot of room for improvement. Suddenly he did something strange and instead of bringing his sword forward he backed away and tried an assault with the blade over my head. I dodged stepping to the side and watching as the blade sliced directly in front of me. _That actually was pretty close._ I smirked to myself as I moved away from him as he balanced his blade in front of me. We danced around like this for a while, him trying to catch me, and I trying to show him all his weak points that he needed to watch out for. About a half hour later he held up his hands as he panted heavily. I leant against the post of the fence and grinned at as I took deep breaths. "You're did pretty well!" He toothily grinned up from his hunched position,

"Yeah, you did kind of alright. Few areas you need to work on." I stared at him before he started to laugh and I joined in with him. "Only joking." I rolled my eyes,

"Oh, so the Herald has jokes, does he?" He chuckled before looking up over my shoulder and looking up towards the Breach. He looked so sad in that moment it was hard to think he was still the same man who was just joking around with me.

"Maker, I just wish that thing was gone. Maybe once it's gone we can be free of these." He said in a daze as he stared at the Breach and held his hand face up. I cringed, ah there it was. Reality. That Breach was still there and we needed to close it.

"Me too. But, we'll seal it." He frowned still looking up at it and I felt so dumb. We'll seal it? That's it…all the comfort you can offer the man with the world's salvation placed upon his shoulders…or hand rather. His eyes found mine as he spoke.

"How do you know?" I smiled and walked towards him as he stood up straight. He was a couple inches taller than me having to look down only slightly to watch me approach. I placed a hand on his arm and smiled,

"Because I hope that it will. I have faith that we were given these marks so that we can save the world." He smiled, but looked up at it again and his smile dropped again.

"I don't think I can have that much faith in myself." His voice sounded so devoid of emotion that it hurt to listen to it. I nodded to him before giving him a bright smile.

"Well then I guess you'll just have to have some faith in me. I'll try not to let you down." I said in a tough voice and he smiled down at me.

"Thank you, Quinn. I guess I got pretty lucky to find a friend like you here." He sheathed his sword and started to walk away a few steps. My eyes widened, we were friends? That quick?

 _Friends…_ I thought to myself with a smile on my face. He was a peculiar person. Calling me his friend before he knew anything about me really. I pushed off the railing and moved towards my cloak and clipped it as I stared at the orange and pink sky in front of me. I smiled, it was beautiful, and somewhat hopeful. The world kept on going no matter how bad things got. There's a damn tear in the sky, but the sun somehow still sets and rises every day. I closed my eyes and basked in the sunlight's last rays before it fell behind the mountains. A bell behind me rung and I opened my eyes and quickly looked around to see if anyone was panicking, but no one was. Instead most were walking in from the blacksmiths and Cullen was releasing his troops.

"Oh, the dinner bell I assume." I stared at Trevelyan for a moment before he smiled. "Are you hungry?' I nodded as I touched my stomach.

"Maker, yes." I said with a grin and he laughed before jumping the fence. I jumped it as well and walked next to him as we approached the front gate. I stopped however and looked towards Cullen who was watching as his troops left. Papers in his hand as he started to march towards his tent. "Hey, just a minute." I said to Trevelyan before turning back and saw that Cullen had already retreated into his tent. I frowned and turned back to Trevelyan, "Never mind." I stated flatly. He squinted past me before nodding to me and we turned into the gates and headed towards the Tavern following the line of soldiers. When we entered the Tavern I grabbed a bowl from the corner of the table and handed one to the Herald who quietly said thank you. Pouring some stew into the bowl and grabbing a piece of bread I then walked back to the table where Varric was sitting and I greeted him.

"Hello Varric." He smiled to me and inclined his head as he took a spoonful of food and shoved it into his mouth.

"Hey Quinn. How was your spar with the Herald?" I looked over to see him walking through the crowd a bard rubbing up on him drunkenly. I smirked and turned back to Varric.

"How did you-? Never mind. It went sort of well, he's had very little practice in the field, but he learns fast." He smirked and nodded,

"Cassandra said something similar to that. Looks like you have your work cut out for you, Lady Protector." I shook my head and nodded quietly saying back,

"Perhaps. I'm just worried about him Varric, he's rather young." Varric stifled a laugh as he gulped down his drink. I glared at him as I took it from him realizing I'd forgotten to get my own and took a swig of it. "What are you laughing at?" I asked him seriously and he laughed heartily.

"Says the woman that started her line of work when she was much younger than he is." I glared and shook my head but realized he had a point. Lifting my hands in defeat I noticed the door open to the tavern and looked over the Commander popping up in my head, and I hoped he was one of the few that filtered into this noisy place. He wasn't. I looked back down at the table and took a few sips of the stew and nibbled the bread. "Are you waiting on someone?" Varric asked and I looked to him and then over to Trevelyan who was still trying to break away from the intrusive bard traipsing herself over him. Chuckling lightly to myself as I watched him squirm I shook my head,

"No…" I said looking back as the door opened again and cursed myself mentally for doing it. I barely knew this guy and I was already hoping he'd walk through the door so I could see him once again. To talk to him, see him smile. It was pathetic and annoying. My inner battle must've shown on my face because Varric laughed,

"Are you sure?" I glared at him and he rolled his eyes and took another swig of his ale. I nodded to myself, but noticed Trevelyan sit beside me and I smirked over at him,

"Sorry, I got a little hung up." He said with a scowl and I burst out laughing.

"I can see that. What's wrong Herald? You look a bit pink." I commented cheekily and he dropped his head and his face grew a bit redder. Varric laughed hard and smirked to me,

"Quinn stop teasing him, or I'll have to share the story of how you got kicked out of The Hanged Man." He said with a chuckle and I smirked placing my hands under my chin,

"Do not forget Master Tethras you are not the only one with embarrassing stories. Besides, that man had it coming. He grabbed my ass." I added nonchalantly and Varric laughed and Trevelyan's eyes widened,

"And you broke both his arms!" I rolled my eyes at him and scoffed,

"Well he shouldn't have touched me. And I even warned him! It's not my fault!" I said through a laugh and he chuckled as well and shook his head.

"You warned him?" Trevelyan asked and I stifled another laugh and nodded,

"Yes, she said "if you touch me I'll break both your arms"." I grinned and shrugged as I took a final swig of Varric's spicy ale.

"What? I'm a lady of my word." Varric chuckled and the wide eyed Herald laughed too. We sat there for a while after that and shared stories, mostly Varric telling his wild stories mostly made up I believe. Trevelyan was absolutely dazzled, but I was a bit distracted. I hadn't seen the Commander come in yet, and I felt slightly dejected every time door opened and it wasn't him. I hated that I felt this way, it was so pitiful and such a cliché. _He won't even want to talk to you when he finds out the truth about you._ I growled under my breath, _Damn my stupid girly feelings to the Void. I don't want them._ Trevelyan got up announcing he was going to go and get another drink. I looked to Varric and he looked back to me thoughtfully.

"You know Quinn, you could just go talk to him instead of waiting for him to come in." He commented as he took a sip of his ale. _Excuse me?_

"I'm not sure who you're talking about." I stated staring down at the food in front of me and picking at the small bread crumbs and flicking them onto the table.

"Sure you don't. Okay, Angel then why don't you tell me why you've been staring at the door for the past hour." I ground my teeth together. _Damn._ I clenched my jaw and looked down at my plate of half eaten food.

"I'm just-ugh fine. The Commander hasn't come in yet to eat. There are you happy?" I asked cocking an attitude with him and he grinned while slurping down his ale,

"Oh, you probably won't see him here. He hardly eats." He stated as he took another bite of his stew. Looking back at the door I grimaced. I should bring him food, I mean he brought me food right? It was the only decent thing to do. "Where're you going?" He asked and I looked back at him,

"He brought me food earlier…I should return the favor." He smirked at me, but I didn't know why. I had the feeling I was going to have to slap him later for whatever was going on in his twisted mind.

"You go do that, Quinn." He said with a devilish grin. Wait-why did he say it like that? Did he know something I didn't? I went over to the Taverns bar and got a bowl of stew, some bread and a glass of water and walked out giving Varric a short wave before going. Opening the Tavern door the blistering cold hit me and I pulled the stew close to me so that it wouldn't get too cold. I came to the front of the Commander's tent and I frowned. What was I going to say? What if he'd already eaten and I'm left there standing like a damned fool? _Stop it, you've got this Thedran. He's just a guy._ I encouraged myself still standing outside his tent. _A very hot guy._ Ugh, why did I suddenly feel so awkward? Rolling my shoulders back I spoke in a hushed voice. "Knock, Knock." The low candlelight that was burning in the tent flickered and I heard him answer,

"Come in." I stiffened, but felt a grin spread along my cheeks at the sound of his voice and opened the flap with my free hand,

"Hello, Commander." I asked and he chuckled sounding a bit tired as he looked up at me from his desk.

"Lady Thedran, is there something I can do for you?" He asked, his eyes staring at me in question as I walked very slowly forward. He looked down at my hands as I walked forward and placed the bowl and piece of bread on his desk before folded my arms across my chest. How was I going to word this? I didn't want him to know I'd been waiting for him to come in!

"I was informed that you didn't get any food. So, here as a way of saying thank you for bringing me food this morning." He glanced down at the food and looked a bit surprised. _Nicely done, Thedran._

"Thank you. I guess I lost track of time." I grinned and waved my hand in a nonchalant manner,

"Yeah, yeah. Just don't do it again. This-," I motioned to the food and then to myself with a smile, "One time thing." I teased and his lips curled into a small smile and a low rumbling chuckle resonated through his tent.

"Now there is a sad thought." He teased back and I let a small laugh out before pulling on my serious face which was an awful failure.

"Isn't it?" I asked with a smirk as I looked around the room. It was a rather roomy space, a couple candles lit around on a barrel and on his desk. A lot of books and papers scattered everywhere. A military strategy book lying forgotten on the barrel next to me. A small cot in the corner next to his desk. He was sitting down in a chair facing me. I smirked as I looked around, "Nice place you've got here. Very you. Or what I imagine is you-ish" I added off-handedly and heard him chuckle. I looked back to him as he grinned at me from his desk.

"Thank you, My Lady."

"Quinn. There is no one around, call me Quinn. Too much of this 'My Lady' is going to make my head implode, and that won't be pretty." He looked a bit hesitant before nodding,

"Alright, _Quinn_. Was there something else I could help you with?" He repeated and a little voice whispered in the back of my head. _Oh, so many things._ I forced the provocative thought away back to its place in the back of my mind and nodded.

"Well, _Cullen_ , there's actually nothing you can help me with for now except maybe eat that food before it gets cold." I said with a smile and he smiled politely before looking back down at his papers hesitantly and then at the stew.

"I think I can manage that." I grinned and grabbed the flap of the tent, but heard his words as I exited. "Quinn." I poked my head back into the tent and he smiled, "Thank you…for the food." I smiled toothily, and noticed him blush deeply. _Well that's adorable._ I smiled happily as I pulled at the front flap of the tent.

"You're welcome." A smile spread across his handsome lips as I sucked in a breath and inclined my head towards him and shut the tent behind me. I walked up the steps of Haven remembering that Leliana wanted to see me in her tent. Now trotting up the steps around the short wall and up another set of stairs I turned right to see Leliana's massive tent closed but a dim light burning. I stepped up to the flap to open it and I prepared myself for whatever she had to say that made her so serious. _Maybe you're just overreacting_. _It could be nothing._ I groaned, yeah could be. Highly unlikely though. I cleared my throat ready to face whatever she had ready for me and I called out into the quiet tent.

"Lady Nightingale, may I enter?" I asked and I heard her voice from behind the flap,

"Of course." She pulled open the flap and I entered and looked around with an appreciative smile at how roomy this place was. Her desk in the corner, a bed in the other corner, another table with a bunch of lists and books, and that's when I saw a beautifully wrapped box with a note lying on top of it.

"Oh Leli that's so sweet of you. But, my nameday isn't for another week!" I said with a smiled, but she shook her head at me and with a serious tone she said,

"It is not from me." She looked at it and then to me with a small nod. I squinted at her waiting for her to explain, but she never did. She walked over to the box and then handed me it with a frown. I stared at her and took it from her and pulled the note off of it. Opening it slowly I read the contents of the letter.

"To my Dear Daughter,

I am writing this letter to you to apologize for all the mistakes I've made, and all that I've pushed you to do. But, that said I call upon you to help the Guild once more. There is a threat against our lives, 6 of our agents have already been murdered. Attached is a letter from the people committing the murders. The Guild needs you, as do I. It's time to return to who you really are."

I looked over the letter my hand clenching at my side, and then pulled the piece of parchment that was attached to the back of the note.

" _The murders that you have witnessed within your Guild will continue. We will not stop until you and the rest of your assassins are wiped from existence. We are a force that cannot be stopped, and you will know us soon enough. I suggest you say the Maker's Prayer to repent for your sins among the people of Thedas before it is too late."_

"Well they get right down to the point, don't they?" I ground my teeth together and glared at the paper before opening the box. My heart leapt into my throat at the sight of the objects inside it. I almost dropped it. My hands shaking as I pulled the bladed gauntlets out of the box. My mothers. Their beautiful design concealing a deadly blade that snapped out on command. I stared at them in appreciation, but saw something fall from them, briefly flashing in the light. I placed the gauntlets on the table next to me and grabbed the chain attached to the object. I pulled it up and emotion choked me as I saw my nameday gift from my mother the day I became the Guild of Assassin's second in Command. A silver sparrow with a ruby encrusted tail. I gripped it and quickly pulled it around my neck and clasped it. Holding it in my hand I looked down in the box and saw yet another note with a ring tied to it with a pretty ribbon. The ring was gold encrusted with the Guild of Assassin's seal on the top. Two Daggers crossed and engulfed in a holy flame. Holding it up, I pulled the paper free from the seal while holding the ring in my fingers.

" My little Sparrow, consider this your early nameday present, your mother would want you to have these. When you are ready put the ring back on as a symbol that you are yet again one of us. I hope one day you can forgive me for all that has come to pass between us. I want you to know that I love you, just as your mother did, just as I always will.

Love, Your Father Aliterus Thedran."

I held my breath, _return to who you really are._ I fought to control myself as my mind ran over that last sentence. I love my Father, but I could never forgive him for what he made me do. Maker I hardly forgive myself. I clenched and unclenched my hands as I placed the box on the table and counted back from five trying to keep my anger in check. I looked up at Leliana as she stood in the corner of the room with an empathetic expression. I placed the letters back in the box and grabbed the gauntlets and placed them in there too.

"I'm assuming you've already read them?" I asked dismissively as I placed the box on the table. She nodded to me,

"I have. Except for the note inside the box, I thought that was a bit more private." She explained and I nodded and looked down at the ground,

"He wants me to rejoin the Guild, go back to being an assassin." I glared down at my fists.

"Are you going to?" She asked walking a bit closer. _NO!_ My mind screamed, but my Father didn't ask for help often, and if he did it was important. I sighed, _maybe? But why did he need me? There was something else he wasn't telling me._

"I'm not sure. I don't have a life there anymore. But, he must be desperate to call on me like this, and that worries me. He _is_ still my Father." I ground out trying to hide the anger that I felt for the whole situation. I didn't want to go back to that life or to that place. I thought I found a purpose with the Divine, not just killing for money, but killing to protect people. I guess…if I helped out my Father I would be doing the same thing I did with the Divine. I would be saving lives, but who says that we deserve to live? The bunch of murderers we are. I looked up at her as she picked up the box and handed it back to me. I took it back from her and placed the ring and the note back inside gently.

"Will you be leaving if you choose to rejoin?" Her voice sedated and slightly saddened. I shook my head flashing her a quick smile,

"Of course not. I could not possibly leave now. What would you do without me?" I said trying to lighten the mood and saw her face light up with a smirk momentarily and a small laugh blew from her lips. "Besides things here are just starting to get interesting." She chuckled and eyed me for a moment.

"You could never resist an adventure." She stated coyly and I chuckled at her. _I couldn't. It was a problem_. "I have something else that I need to discuss with you as well." I nodded to her and shifted my weight. "Do you remember Pierel, my senior agent?" I nodded to her again,

"Yeah, bald guy with a scar on his chin? A bit twitchy around magic?" I asked remembering bits and pieces of the guy she was asking about.

"Yes, him. I received word yesterday that he was murdered, but I do not know by who. We are currently investigating the situation." She said,

"Okay….so what does that have to do with me?" I asked and she frowned,

"I need you to keep an eye on any of my agents around here, and report back to me if you see anything suspicious." I nodded to her and bowed my head to her and her to me.

"At your service Nightingale." I said and clutched the box in my hands and she smiled to me,

"As I am at yours, Lady Protector. I will have my most trusted agents guard you immediately." I sighed and looked at her seriously.

"Okay, can you do me a favor though? Can we not discuss this with the others? Any of them? If anything becomes of this threat then we can, but the last thing I need is Cassandra having yet another reason to breathe down my neck. I can already hear her cursing my name and lineage to the farthest sanctums of the Void if anything becomes of this threat." Leliana shot me a glance slightly amused at my words before stiffening her back.

"I will keep your secret. But, you should not keep this to yourself. It is your decision to make, my friend, but I can think of a few people who'd be very displeased to find out you're withholding a plot against your life." She spoke quietly and I stared at her for a moment before looking back towards the tent opening.

"I'll think on it." I said with as I started to walk towards the tent. "If that is all, Leli. I'll bid you good night. I wouldn't want the scouts around your tent to think such an extended late journey to your personal tent to be more than friendly." I quipped suggestively wagging my eyebrows before laughing as she barked with laughter with me.

"I hardly think they'd come to that conclusion. I am not your type." She said with a wicked grin and I lifted my eye brow at her,

"Oh?" I asked challenging her. She rose to the challenge as she calmly reclined against a support beam.

"Yes, I am neither blonde nor Fereldan." I felt the hair bristle on the back of my neck and my cheeks felt as if they were on fire. I stood stalk still, trying to fight off any signs of embarrassment. I glared at her though my blush made it more amusing than I'd wanted it to. "I am sorry my friend, it has been such a long time since I've seen you blush. It is quite a rare sight to see." The blush spread to my ears and I stuck my tongue out at her trying to collect myself.

"Yes well here it is. Get a portrait done, it'll last longer." I said with a scowl, and she grinned at me. Rolling my eyes I shot her a quick smile as I grabbed the edge of the tent. "Goodnight, Leli." I walked out of the tent and heard her murmur a goodnight as I closed it. Looking down at the box in my hands I felt a fire light in my stomach as the anger started to come back to me. Taking heavy steps towards my cabin I reached for the door hurriedly. I walked in slowly, checking every corner quickly and slammed the door shut behind me. I tossed the box onto the mattress and glared at it. I didn't want to go back to that life. To the memories that I've tried so hard to push to the back of my mind. To face my father again after I said I never would ever again. I clenched my hands and punched the wall angrily glaring at it as objects rattled on the mantle on the wall. I sank onto the mattress and stared at the box cross legged. _Time to return to who you truly are._ My jaw clenched at that, but I sighed and looked at the box once more before taking it and placing it in the trunk at the foot of the bed. Closing my eyes I sucked in a heavy breath and released it calming myself down. I need to sleep. I'd worry about this in the morning. I laid down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling of my cabin and slowly closed my eyes. Tomorrow we'd head to the Hinterlands, we'd find this Mother Giselle and, if the Maker be willing, be one step closer to closing that infernal gaping hole in the sky.


	6. Chapter 6

Hello my lovely readers! I'm so sorry I haven't posted in a while! I just wanted to take a moment to thank you all so much for reviewing, following and favoriting my story! It means so much to me! So thank you, and I hope you keep it coming because I love to hear your thoughts about the story! Now on to the story!

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" _Please don't kill me! I have a family! Please I'm begging you!" I didn't listen. The world around me was painted red and swirling with black as faces among faces came into my view. Bleeding and dying agonizingly slower than they had the first time. They were scared of me as I raised my blade without a care for them._

" _You're a murderer." Another voice screamed. A fat greasy old Templar who had been mutilating the Mages in his charge. More chimed in all screaming the same thing._

" _MURDERER!" It was deafening. All the voices of my past screaming at me. They surrounded me, Magisters and Orlesian nobles. Nobodies who were cruel and heartless, to abominations and Apostates who needed to die. My eyes however became glued to one person in particular in the crowd._

" _You murdered me. You didn't give me a chance. You could've saved me! You said you loved me!" He grabbed me and his eyes flickered to black and he grinned. I clutched my head and moved away from him trying to block out the voices with my palms._

" _STOP IT!" I screamed, but instead he grabbed me again and pulled me towards his face with a wicked grin._

" _I will never stop." He whispered and drove his blade through me._

 _ **BAM, BAM, BAM!**_

"Holy Sh-!" I almost cursed as I jerked straight up and out of my nightmare, but got tangled in the sheets. Frantically I tried to pull them off of me, but instead tumbled to the ground with a thud.

"Lady Protector are you alright in there!?" I groaned as I tried to lift myself up to answer the door, but I just couldn't. These dreams, they were worse now than they've ever been. I didn't understand it. My hand hovered shakily over the scar on my stomach as I remembered the time before. _Sweet Andraste._ "Lady Protector!? Please answer or I will have to break down the door!" The soldier called out again and I quickly scrambled to the door and opened it. Sweaty and disheveled I stared at the soldier who had his hand raised to bang on the door again. "Lady Protector are you alright? I heard you scream and then it sounded like something fell." I nodded as I pulled a hand through my hair unruly and stepped aside.

"Oh that? Nah, I'm fine. Just wrestling with the sheets. " I joked hiding my shaky voice and saw him nod with a short tiny smile. "Thank you." He nodded again and saluted before turning on his heels and I looked after him and slumped against the door frame for a moment before looking up at the sky and noticed the moon was far past its peak, and the sun had just started to light the morning sky. Wait a second! We were supposed to leave at dawn! "Oh, crap." I hissed, scrambling around the room I pulled on my cloak and armor and slid my daggers into my holsters. My hand deftly tugging my hair into a high ponytail with one hand as I pulled on my boots with the other. I rushed through camp noticing the people of Haven were already out and about. Some carrying baskets of crops and some with pitchers. Carts and crates and materials bustling past me, but not fast enough to stare first. I carried on nodding to them as I descended the steps and turned immediately spotting Cassandra, Varric and Solas all packing up their horses' saddlebags. I walked over to them and tried to stifle a yawn as Varric turned to me.

"Hey there, Angel. Sleep well last night?" I looked to him and lied,

"Like a babe." He grinned as he let out a low chuckle and pulled the saddlebag latch tight on his pony before pointing over to a tall white horse that stood strapped by his reins to a fence post.

"That one's yours. Curly already packed you up." Varric stated with a twinge of mirth in his tone.

"Curly?" I asked him and he nodded with a smirk playing on his lips.

"The Commander." Staring evenly at him I forced myself not to look around for the Commander. How'd I miss him? He's a hard man to miss with his large feathery mantle and imposing figure.

"He did?" I asked finally and Varric shrugged as he patted his pony's neck,

"He packed you before heading off somewhere with the Herald." He said, but I was only partially listening as I gazed across the training grounds looking for the handsome Commander, but no sign on him. "Probably a thank you for bringing him some dinner." Varric added with a wink. I looked down at my dwarven friend with a smirk before turning to my horse. Petting its hair gently its eye watched me carefully from the side.

"Well, aren't you beautiful…girl?" I cooed as I looked over the horse with a smile, "Do you have a name?" I asked and it snorted while stamping a hoof on the ground.

"It doesn't have a name. It's a horse, Thedran." Cassandra drawled and without looking at her I petted the mane of the horse feeling its coarse hair under my fingertips.

"Awe, don't listen to that mean old lady, you're not just a horse!" Cassandra scoffed behind me and I grinned at the horse who bobbed its head as it let out a low snort. "I know! I'll call you Belle." I declared with a snap of my fingers and she whinnied in what sounded like agreement. I chortled as I petted her mane and gave her some treats from a nearby bucket.

"You're pretty good with horses." Trevelyan commented next to me and I looked over at him with a smile,

"Oh, thank you." I replied as he pulled his horse along. A tall black horse with a dark brown mane. Trevelyan nodded as he fed his treats as well, "You seem to be pretty good with them too." He grinned at my compliment and patted the horses' neck.

"My Father felt it was important a man know how to ride a horse. Said I'd never woo a woman if I was riding in carriages all the time." I chuckled at that and saw the others hoisting themselves up onto their saddles and I followed suit. Placing my foot into the stirrup I swung my leg around the horse's body and made myself comfortable in the saddle. Grabbing the reins I pulled the horse round to follow them. As we made for the exit it seemed like all of Haven had come and lined up on either side of us. Never had I experienced anything like this, they looked at us like Gods and that was unnerving. Stiffening my back I looked around as we slowly moved past the training grounds and towards a large gateway. I'd yet to see the Commander anywhere, until I caught a glimpse of his form standing on the steps to Haven. There he was leaning up against the door frame as the citizens of Haven filed out by the dozens to get their last glimpse of the Herald and their heroes before they leave. Cullen wasn't looking at me instead watching each of our party as they passed him. I looked forward at Trevelyan as he waved sheepishly to the bar maid from the night before who was now enthusiastically waving back her breasts almost bouncing out of her shirt as she did so. I chuckled at the blush that shot across the Herald's face and shook my head. _Men._ My attention, however, drew from the Herald to Jim who was standing at the bottom of the stairs waving at me. I waved back at him with a smile feeling a bit awkward,

"Safe journeys, Lady Protector!" He called out and I couldn't help but giggle at how adorable he was. His hair gleaming cutely in the morning sun his eyes bright and excited.

"Thank you, Jim." I replied and his eyes widened exponentially and he shook the person next to him. I covered up my mouth to stifle my fit of giggles before placing them both back on the reigns. My eyes then flicked from Jim to take one last peak at Cullen as I came by him and felt my heart slam in my chest when I noticed he was staring back. Amusement written plainly on his face as he dipped his head respectfully with his arms crossed over his broad chest. Gripping the reigns with one hand I took my other and sent him a two fingered salute accompanied by a lopsided grin. His shoulder shook with laughter as he looked down for a moment. When he looked back up I could see his eyes remarkable honey color sparkling with mirth and my chest tightened a bit painfully. I felt a twinge of pink hit my cheeks and quickly broke eye contact focusing on my travel companions in front of me. _Maker's Balls what is the matter with me?_ I berated myself mentally trying my best not to look back at him. Soon we were out of Haven completely and open to mountains and the freezing air it brought. I let out a puff of air and pulled my cloak tighter around me as our horses began to trot at a faster pace through the brisk mountain air. Varric and Trevelyan chatted for the most part as Cassandra kept in front and Solas on the opposite side of him. I stayed in the back of the group my mind straying to the night before. The note, the threat against the assassins, my Father asking for my help. _I cannot go back. Not after what he made me do to Tayen._ Staring down at the reigns with a scowl on my lips I scratched at a fraying thread that was sticking out to keep my hands busy. It was about 3 more hours and Varric had pulled his horse back to chat with me. For a while we were just talking about random things we'd done during the years we'd been separate, but then it started to delve into more recent developments.

"So…you don't remember a thing? About what happened at the Conclave?" He asked and I nodded as we bobbed in unison traveling through a rather thinly wooded forest with snow covering the ground and branches.

"Yes, I remember being at the Conclave, and then I woke up in the middle of the wreckage. There was a golden woman, who I think was Andraste, in the rift. She pushed Trevelyan out of said rift and then the Commander and Inquisition soldiers found us." I explained as I mentally ran through everything that had happened.

"That's weird, Quinn. Like not a good weird either." He stated as he looked back ahead towards the path. "Look, even though all this crap has been happening with the end of the world. It is good to see you again." He added with a grin and I felt my own lips curl into a bemused smile.

"It's good to see you too, Varric." I responded with a twinge of suspicion in my voice. He shot me a look of confusion and shrugged at me muttering,

"What? Can't a guy tell his friend he missed her?" I felt a laugh rumble through my chest and I regarded my dwarven friend with a small smile. "You just took me by surprise is all. Your sentimental moments are few and far between." I explained to him as we bobbed on our horses. I looked down at him and grinned, "I missed you too, Varric." He looked up at me and shook his head as he made a sound of disgust.

"Dear Maker, Quinn. Stop it, it's weird when you're sentimental." I broke into another fit of laughter and punched him in the arm.

"Hey! I am very sentimental thank you!" I protested and he shot me an unconvinced look before snorting and looking back ahead of us. "Yeah, you're right. But, that's why you love me." I replied cheekily as we continued our trotting through the dense forest. Varric nodded in agreement, but we both paused when my stomach rumbled loudly. His eye brow lifted as he eyed me.

"Hungry?" He asked with a bemused smile.

"It appears so." My stomach let out another low grumble and I covered it up with my hand, embarrassed by how loud it was. He grinned at me and patted his right saddle bag and pointed over to mine before trotting back up next to the Herald. Looking in between him and the saddlebag I then opened the flap. Inside there were two apples sitting on top of a blanket and supplies with a note folded up next to it. My stomach twisted in delight and my mouth watered when I saw the apple sitting there. I grinned and pulled the first apple to my lips as I unfolded the note gently.

" _One time thing._

 _-Cullen "_

I snorted with laughter and read over it again before slipping it into my pants pocket. Biting into the apple again I savored the sweet taste and felt a small blush come to my cheeks. _Maker he is…something else._ We continued on, our horses trotting steadily through the heavily wooded area. Hours passed and the sun was almost at its peak in the sky. I groaned, horseback riding for an extended amount of time was so boring. That was until the Mage, Solas, pulled his horse back a bit and started to ride next to me.

"Hello, Lady Protector." He said with his head inclined to me and I inclined mine back to him.

"Hello, Solas." I returned with a smile and he nodded to my marked hand,

"I wanted to ask you about your hand, you have a very…unusual case." I turned my palm up and looked to him with a grimace.

"I'm not sure I can be of any help. Your guess is as good as mine." I told him shooting him a short smile. He smiled back calmly and looked at my palm,

"It has a strange pull from the Fade, similar to the Herald's, but also very different." He paused looking very thoughtful for a moment before lifting a finger to his lips. "I saw when you saved the Commander at the Temple…but, I confess I'm confused as to what actually happened." He confessed as his green eyes cast thoughtfully ahead of us. Sighing as I rubbed the mark on my hand I looked towards him.

"I'm not sure myself of that either. I remember panicking and I was too far away, then suddenly a flash of green almost like a door and then it was like I opened another door. Then, I fell right into the Commander. It was weird." I recalled as I looked back down at my mark. The damn thing sparked up as if it were laughing at my lack of understanding. I didn't looked back at Solas, but I could feel the weight of his eyes on me.

"Interesting, this is just theoretical, but you could be moving through the Fade. Albeit very quickly." My heart started pounding in my chest harder and harder.

"But-how is that possible!?" My mind was doing flips accompanied by my stomach and I couldn't breathe. Suddenly a hand was placed on my shoulder and Solas nodded to me offering a small comforting smile.

"I am not sure, like I said theoretically speaking. But, you must be careful. I've never seen anyone who could move physically through the Fade, and if that is what you are doing it could be very dangerous." He explained calmly and I smacked my forehead. I hadn't even thought of the danger!

"How am I supposed to be careful with it if I don't even know how to control the blasted thing?" I argued out of frustration and fear. My hand sparked, mocking me and I shoved it into my cloak to hide it.

"I might be able to help you with that, if you wish. That way you don't accidentally open a rift and fall on to the top of the Frostbacks." He mused with mirth laced in his tone. My eyes widened in shock, but chuckled beside myself.

"Sweet Maker, that could happen!?" I guffawed at him and he let out a snort of laughter,

"Theoretically speaking. We don't know the scale yet, it might be a few feet, might be miles." I huffed and sagged a bit in my saddle.

"Well shit." I muttered before shooting Solas a questioning look. "How do you know so much about our marks anyway?" He nodded, a small smile still on his lips,

"Ah, yes I was wondering when you were going to ask. I study the Fade." He explained, but I couldn't help and stare at him in confusion. "Yes, I know not a common practice." I grinned and looked back ahead of us.

"Well, why?" I asked and he looked at me questioningly.

"Pardon?" I rolled my eyes and leaned back in the saddle and smiled at him.

"Why do you study the Fade? Is it personal? Or is it a hobby…?" I asked again and he looked at me oddly for a moment his eyes thoughtfully looking about for a moment before he finally responded.

"Please excuse my hesitance, but no one has ever asked about why I study the Fade." He explained before looking forward and smiling. "I feel a special connection with the Fade. There is so much still to learn. Battles in the ruins of old, stories and tales can be seen like you were there. Places that have been broken by time can be seen in their day." He breathed as his eyes continued to dance around the horizon.

"That sounds amazing." I whispered as I looked ahead trying to imagine what he was. I looked over at him and he nodded to me.

"It is." He agreed as he looked back ahead of us.

"Perhaps one day I could see the Fade like that." I mused mostly to myself, but caught him flash a smile out of my peripheral vision.

"Perhaps." He replied before trotting up back to his place next to the Herald. _He's rather nice for an elf._ We continued on until we came upon a small camp which was mostly hidden if it weren't for the red tents I probably would've missed it. We rode in and hopped off our horses tying them to nearby Seyoumer trees as a female dwarf walked up to the Herald.

"Herald of Andraste! Lady Protector! I've heard the stories. Everyone has. We know what you did at the Breach." She said as she nodded to both of us and I smiled at her and tilted my head standing in between Varric and Solas as Trevelyan stood directly in front of the woman and Cassandra opposite to Varric. "Inquisition Scout Harding. At your service. I-all of us here-we'll do whatever we can to help." She added and Trevelyan nodded and shook her hand, but Varric was the one to speak up.

"Harding, huh? Ever been to Kirkwall's Hightown?" He asked and I looked at her questioningly as did Scout Harding and she answered him.

"I can't say I have. Why?" She asked and he chuckled,

"You'd be Harding in-" He began, but I smacked him on the arm and he chuckled and finished, "oh, Never mind." Beside him Cassandra audibly groaned, but Trevelyan kept a straight face.

"I'm starting to worry about all these stories that everyone's heard." She seemed to blush a bit at that.

"Oh there's nothing worry about. They only say that you are the last great hope for Thedas." She said nonchalantly and I grinned as Trevelyan stiffened and rolled his eyes,

"Oh, wonderful." I chuckled at that and looked down at my feet before I heard Scout Harding speak up again,

"The Hinterlands are as food a place as any to start fixing things. We came to secure horses from Redcliffe's old horse Master. I grew up here, and people have always said that Dennett's herds were the strongest and the fastest this side of the Frostbacks. But, with the Mage-Templar Fighting getting worse, we couldn't get to Dennett. Maker only knows if he's even still alive. Mother Giselle is at the Crossroads helping refugees and the wounded. Our latest reports say that the war has spread there too. Corporal Vale and our men are doing what they can to help protect the people, but they won't be able to hold out very long. You best get going. No time to lose." She stated finally and I sighed as Trevelyan nodded and we took off towards the crossroads. First heading down a large hill and then weaving through a tunnel like rock formation before finally hearing a fight going on. My blood start to hum in my veins as I felt the magic around me from both the Mages and Templars crackling in the air and making my hair stand on end. We turned the corner and I saw soldiers with the same symbol as the one that's all over haven fighting against Mages and Templars who were too busy fighting each other to have a care.

"Inquisition forces! They're trying to protect the refugees!" Cassandra cried out as she ran forward and I grinned,

"Looks as if they could use some help!" Varric added as we all ran forward to aid the soldiers. Now this was my element. I could do this. I burst forward and ducked to miss an ice shard that shot past my head and got close to the Mage all the way in the back. She lifted her staff to try and strike me quickly with the bladed end, but I caught with my own dagger and drove my other dagger into her chest. Her eyes widened in pain as I ripped my blade out, and rolled onto the ground to miss a lightning bolt headed straight for me. Running towards the next Mage who was a tall man with a book in one hand instead of a staff I noticed his eyes fixed on Trevelyan who was blocking an attack from a Templar. Holding his shield up to just try and stop the attacks was all Trevelyan could do as the large red headed Templar bashed his sword down again and again. The mage started to cast, but instead I threw my dagger forward and ran towards him as it sunk into his skin with a wet thud. He arched backward and sent a couple more lightning bolts at me. He lit the ground on fire in front of me and I quickly dove over it and rolled just before him. Bringing my blade up, I cut along his leg and leapt to my feet. Moving as quickly as possible I ripped my blade from his back and twisted back as he did and sliced across his throat. He fell to the ground silently, but I didn't stop as I ran towards Trevelyan who was still trying to land blows on the stocky Templar. The red headed man merely started laughing at him.

"Come on, Little Man! Hit me!" I was almost there as Trevelyan swung his sword again, but the Templar merely cast it aside and lifted his large sword. "Time to die!" I grinned and gripped my daggers tight as I leapt onto the Templars back and held the dagger flat against his neck.

"You read my mind." I growled as I slit his throat and jumped off as he hit the ground. I stood looking at Trevelyan who was now frozen in place. "Trevelyan what's wrong?" I asked him, but before he could respond I noticed just over his shoulder an archer with her bow drawn and an arrow poised at Trevelyan. I felt my heart shoot into my throat and I yelled for him to move drawing my dagger back, but he just continued to stare at the dead Templar. Before I could throw my dagger she let the arrow free and I tackled him to the ground. A short flash of pain resonated from my shoulder and I looked over to see that I had the arrow meant for Trevelyan. The archer drew another arrow quickly and I leapt off of Trevelyan and turned sideways to miss the arrow that shot towards me and flung my dagger forth and watched as it sunk into the chest of the archer forcing her onto the ground. I sighed and turned my attention back to the arrow in my shoulder. I rolled my head to side as I started to yank on it.

"Are you alright, Angel?" Varric asked his voice laced with worry as he ran close. With gritted teeth I pulled the arrow from my shoulder and tossed it to the ground away from me and gripped my shoulder tight to stop the bleeding. I looked to Varric who was now looking in his pockets for something. "Hang on I've got a bandage." He said, but Solas walked forward and motioned for me to take off my overcoat. I did so and stood in front of him as he inspected my shoulder and nodded holding up his hand. I stood stalk still looking at him questioningly,

"I can heal you like I did before with your leg." He stated simply as he inspected the wound. "Unless you'd prefer the bandage." He added with a smirk.

"Yeah…I'll go with the healing please." He nodded and held his hand over my shoulder before pausing.

"You might want to sit down." He said and motioned to the fence post just behind me. "Oh, and this might hurt." I nodded and sat down on a fence and looked past him to see Cassandra stalking over

"What happened, Thedran?" She asked and I pointed over towards where the archer was,

"You know I'm trying to figure that out right now." I stated calmly and she eyed my shoulder.

"And that? I thought you were one of the best!" She taunted gruffly and I shook my head nonchalantly.

"Hey, I didn't expect him to just freeze up! Besides…it's not that bad." I explained, but abruptly hissed in pain when the skin started to close up. "Ouch."

"I told you it might hurt." Solas remarked with mirth shining in his eyes. I scowled, shook my head and waited. It didn't hurt after that first bit, it actually felt a bit pleasant.

"What do you mean he froze up?" Cassandra questioned and I sighed heavily and scraped a hand through my hair,

"I mean he froze up. Complete Halla in crosshairs moment. I killed that Templar and the Herald just stood there staring." She sighed and nodded, but I saw Trevelyan walk up behind her staring at me.

"Quinn!" He shuffled to my side and looked at my shoulder that was now almost fully healed. "Quinn, I'm so sorry!" I looked to him and nodded my head,

"What happened, Herald?" Cassandra asked and he looked down at his shoes ashamed,

"I-I've never killed anyone before, and there was so much blood-I'm sorry." He stammered with his hands clasped together tightly in front of him. So he was a little squeamish around blood-wait. What? Did he say he's never killed anyone before!?

"You're joking right?" I asked and he shook his head still looking very ashamed.

"No, I'm not." He answered and I groaned audibly, well that's just bloody perfect. I looked up at Solas as he pulled his hand away and I looked over at a small silver scar that remained where the arrow had hit along with some caked blood. I thanked him and he nodded while backing away. Varric uncorked his canteen and grabbed a small towel and I cleaned around the newly healed wound. Pulling my overcoat back on I grimaced when I saw the hole in the leather. I buckled the chest plate in and stood, moving my arm around to check it out. Smiling a thanks to Solas I moved quickly to where the archer was and ripped my dagger from her and wiped it off on my leg before sheathing it. I bent down over her and searched her for a moment looking through her pockets, but found nothing. I pulled away from her, but stopped when I looked down at her hand and saw a ring. _Templars didn't wear jewelry._ My mind recalled and I pulled it off of her and looked over it calmly. I didn't recognize the symbol on it, but perhaps Leliana would. I placed it in my pocket and turned when I heard someone approaching. Trevelyan was standing just a few feet from me staring somewhat sadly. "I'm sorry." He said eying my shoulder and I waved my hand in a nonchalant manner.

"Fine-it's fine." I muttered as I walked past them him. Maker, he hasn't killed anyone before? What happens if he freezes up and I'm not around to save him? What happens if I'm too late? Or what if the archers a better shot next time? _Ugh, it doesn't matter_. Next time I'll be better prepared knowing that he'll freeze up. I ground my teeth together and walked on towards where I saw big white and red hats. Trevelyan was just behind me with Cassandra and the others. We walked up a pair of stairs and when we reached the top we saw a woman in a tall cleric's hat and we walked towards her as she helped a wounded soldier.

"There are mages here who can heal your wounds. Lie Still." She calmly said, but the soldier still tried very weakly to get away from the Mage who was watching him just as cautiously. At her words, I felt my eye brow lift in amazement. She supported magic? How interesting.

"Don't let them touch me, Mother. Their magic..!"

"Turned to noble purposes, their magic is surely no more evil than your blade." The soldier persisted still, but she merely held up her hand to him. "Hush, Dear Boy, allow them to ease your suffering." She said finally and stood from her kneeling position.

"Mother Giselle?" Trevelyan asked and she turned gracefully. Trevelyan walked up to her, but I hung back. He was the Herald, and even though she wanted to see me as well, I wasn't very good at these sorts of things. He smiled at her and she bowed her head slightly out of respect. She then looked over his shoulder at me and bowed her head again.

"I am. And you must be the one that they are calling The Herald of Andraste." She answered respectfully and smiled at him, before nodding to me. "And you, The Herald's Protector." I nodded stiffly not yet speaking.

"Is that why you asked for us? The Chantry has already-" He started, but walking a bit closer she nodded,

"I know what they've done." He looked back at me for a moment, but I simply shrugged and he looked back at her.

"Then why are we here?" He asked and she started to walk towards the staircase next to me.

"I know of the Chantry's denouncement, and I'm familiar with those behind it. I won't lie to you some if them are grandstanding, hoping to increase their chances of becoming the new Divine." I ground my teeth at that. Right, like any of those meaningless Clerics could hope to be the new Divine. "Some are simply terrified, so many good people, senselessly taken from us." I stayed where I was now next to Trevelyan as Mother Giselle looked sadly off into the distance. I felt like speaking, but there are no words to convey the horrors of what happened.

"What happened was horrible." Trevelyan said slowly and I looked to him and shook my head. _That's putting it very lightly._

"Fear makes us desperate, but hopefully not beyond reason. Go to them. Convince the remaining clerics you are no demons to be feared. They have heard only frightful tales of you. Give them something else to believe." She stated calmly and I stared at her questioningly.

"You want us to appeal to them?" I asked incredulously and both of their heads turned to me putting me on the spot.

"Not all, just some. Their power is the unified voice. Take that away from them, and you receive the time you need." She stated slowly. Maker I hated politics this was shit, why do we have to appeal to the Chantry in the first place!? Why do we care? The Chantry abandoned the Inquisition!

"It's good of you to do this." Trevelyan told her with a charming smile before looking to me.

"I honestly don't know if you've been touched by fate…or sent to help us, but I hope. Hope is what we need now. The people will listen to your rallying call, as they will listen to no other. You could build the Inquisition into a force that will deliver us…or destroy us. I will go to Haven and provide Sister Leliana the names of those in the Chantry who would be amenable to a gathering. It is not much, but I will do whatever I can." With that said she walked away and down the stairs. I stared after her watching as she nodded to the soldiers around her.

"Quinn, about earlier-how's your shoulder?" He asked quickly, but I didn't turn to him. It wasn't his fault that he hadn't killed anyone before. It was however his fault that he hadn't told anyone! I mean we are in a war! He's going to have to kill someone eventually! _Be kind to him._

"Don't worry about my shoulder, I've had worse. But, why didn't you inform any of us that killing was going to be a problem for you?" I asked and he dropped his head to his sword as he rubbed his hand against the pommel.

"I didn't know. I thought that it'd be fine. Maker…I didn't think it would be so terrifying." Sweeping a hand through his short brown hair he sighed. "I'm sorry, but there was so much blood and gore." Against my better judgement I rolled my eyes, but bit my tongue. _Maker's shit-what did he expect it would be like?!_ Trying to calm myself I wrung my hands and started to walk down the stairs to Cassandra, Varric and Solas who were waiting by a small house.

"That's not the problem, Trevelyan. The problem is, is that my job is to protect you. But, what happens if I can't get there in time and you freeze up again?" I asked and he stopped walking for a moment before shaking his head,

"But, what if I don't want to kill anyone?" I froze where I stood and couldn't help the temper that flared up in me. I turned to him with an icy stare.

"Okay look, I need you to understand something very simple. You are in the middle of a war. You are going to have to kill someone eventually that's just how this life is, Trevelyan. If you die then the world is screwed. So get over it or go back to Haven. Because you're not just endangering yourself, you're endangering those around you." His face paled exponentially at my words his eyes a bit too wide. I shook my head at him and walked towards the caravan where the rest of our party was standing. Varric looked past me at the Herald and then to me and shook his head. He lifted his eye brow in confusion at me as I neared him. Cassandra looked between the Herald and I before announcing that we should go and speak to Corporal Vael. I nodded, but Varric pulled me back and looked at me very seriously.

"What did you say to the kid?" He asked and I looked towards the rest of the group as they disappeared around a corner.

"I told him that he is in the middle of a war and he's going to have to kill someone eventually because I might not get there fast enough next time." I said with a glare and he slapped his forehead.

"Let it never be said Quinn Thedran put anything lightly." He groaned while shaking his head,

"Well what was I supposed to say, Varric? He needed to hear it from someone." I huffed as I stared off in the direction where Trevelyan, Solas and Cassandra had disappeared.

"I understand, Quinn, just go easy on him." He urged as he played with his sleeves and looked around the small town-like place we were standing in the middle of. I felt my temper rise a bit and I twisted my head down to regard the dwarf incredulously.

"Easy on him!? Oh c'mon." I scoffed at him and he shot me a quick disapproving look with his arms folded over his hairy chest. Glaring from him to where Trevelyan had disappeared I found myself growling under my breath. "Ugh, fine, I guess I'll just have to watch him a bit more." I finished feeling deflated and felt Varric pat my arm.

"It'll be okay. If anyone can keep that man alive, it's you." He said and I felt a laugh burst from deep inside me. "Well isn't that ironic." He added with a hearty chuckle.

"You're a comedian, Varric." I commented as I shook my head. It was rather ironic. An assassin who's trying to keep someone alive. Almost a bit poetic. We started to walk forward and saw Cassandra round the corner with Solas and Trevelyan tailing her.

"The Herald spoke with Corporal Vale. For now we head to Redcliffe farms to ask Horsemaster Dennett the horses for the Inquisition, and we will be completing some tasks along the way for the refugees." Cassandra stated as she held out a map. My eyes set on the Herald who was lingering in the back looking around the crossroads. Mentally sighing I gripped my daggers tightly. Cassandra motioned for us to move back to the camp where we had left our horses, but I caught up to her.

"Cassandra." I started and she turned her head to me. "I'm assuming you are going to file a report on what happened here today." I said and she nodded with a tight lipped expression.

"Yes, as is procedure." She stated giving me a questioning look.

"Are you going to report what happened earlier…when the Herald froze up?" I pressed and watched as she shifted her weight towards me. Her eye brows knitting together as her nose wrinkle in confusion.

"Why?" She asked slowly and suspiciously. I looked down at my gloved hands and fiddled with the tips of the fingers.

"I don't think it wise to have a message sent that Trevelyan is squeamish around killing. He is the Herald, and you don't want anyone doubting his…chosen-ness." I explained to her and saw her eyes narrow at me.

"What are you talking about?" She grunted, and I smirked at her as I pulled my hands to my hips.

"I'm just saying that if you write a report telling them that the Herald of Andraste cannot protect himself around a couple of thug Templars. They might lose faith in the man and in our cause if it got out. Maker forbid if the message was intercepted." I explained to her and watched as she absorbed my words.

"You want me to lie?" She asked incredulously. Her eyebrows raising high on her head and her arms crossed over her chest imposingly. Rolling my eyes I crossed my arms too, matching her stance.

"Not lie, just…withhold information." Her eyes smoldered with anger and disgust as they narrowed into slits. The vein in the middle of her head looked as if it were about to pop right out of her skin. Her face turning redder as the seconds ticked by between us.

"Which is another form of lying, Thedran. I am not a liar like you." She spat, like poison from between her lips. _Ouch. Way to call a girl out, Cassandra._ Her nostrils flared angrily at me as she turned away and started to stalk off after the group. Brushing off the insult, I shifted my weight and called back out to her.

"Then let me write the report." I suggested and she paused her steps and turned to me giving me her attention. "That way you're not held accountable for lying. It's on me." I added and she looked down at her balled hands and scoffed.

"Fine. You write the report." She conceded causing a wide grin to spread across my lips as I brushed past her.

"Thank you, Lady Seeker." I replied and carried on my steps towards the group hearing her scoff behind me. _Now, what was I going to say in the report?_

* * *

Retiring to my tent that night I pulled a quill and paper to the desk in my tent and smirked down at the parchment before me.

 _Hello Report Readers, whomever you may be,_

 _The Hinterlands are boring, except for the usual crap. Mages vs. Templars, bears, and the occasional whiny townsfolk who need all their problems solved. We did see a Dragon fly over us which was pretty interesting. However, we did not pursue the flying beast because Cassandra-the-kill-joy-Pentaghast said we shouldn't. Overall, nothing to worry about. The Herald is in good hands especially since you are lucky enough to have Quinn and the merry band of misfit heroes on your side. (Just wait, it'll stick.)_

 _Quinn Thedran._

I signed the parchment and sealed it with wax. Walking over to the post where Leliana's ravens were sitting I tied it to the birds foot. The birds' wings flapped aggressively through the air as it carried the report back on towards Haven.


	7. Chapter 7

Hey there everyone! I am so, so, sorry it has taken me so long to write this chapter. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with it, but I figured it out! I just wanted to thank all of you who have stayed tuned! I love you all! Hope you enjoy! Now onto the 7th Chapter!

* * *

"We should head back to Haven." Those six words repeated in my mind over and over again and I damn near squealed for joy. Haven, where there were beds and fire places. The place that even though it was a frigid ice box still may have been the closest thing I had to a home at the moment. I smiled to myself and patted Belle on the side of her neck before moving to my things to pack away in her knapsacks. A little after an hour we set off back through the Hinterlands. We passed many of the areas that we'd liberated, and the people we'd helped. Hollowly I touched the healed wound on my shoulder as we passed the spot where it happened. My eyes drifted from the area to the Herald. He was sitting tall and rigid, his head held high and straight as we carried on through the small town. A twinge of regret spurred me and I rolled my eyes at my own conscious. _Maybe Varric was right? I should apologize to him…probably._ I chided myself mentally as I thought over the way I spoke to him. I mean I wasn't wrong. He could've gotten the others seriously injured, and he could've died had I not been quicker. But, for the last 4 days he'd been very careful, I guess taking in my…advice to heart. I felt like kicking myself, I hated these awkward positions. I hated feeling bad for telling the truth. People should just accept that they're a handicap and get over it. _Well that's not right._ My mind corrected and I dropped my head as we bobbed along down the very poorly kept 'road'. We passed the Inquisition's camp and then we were in the thick woods leading out of the Hinterlands. My eyes darted in between the trees where the canopy made it especially dark and listened very carefully for anything like a bow being drawn or a sword being unsheathed, but nothing came. To be truthful I expected an attack. The Herald had made an impression on the Hinterlands, no doubt some people would be threatened and send someone to take care of him. Or Maker at least bandits, but so far we hadn't been unexpectedly attacked since we'd arrived here, and it made me very suspicious. I was constantly waiting for the other foot to fall. Bandits invade the camp, Mages or Templars trying to burn down our tents in the night. Nothing I couldn't handle, but it made me feel paranoid and I hate feeling paranoid. I also hated the fact that no one else seemed to be the same way. I'd stayed up nights making sure that I'd secured the area while the others slept carelessly in their sleep. Maker, I'd even taken sips of the Herald's wine and eaten a bite of his food, without him noticing of course, just to make sure it wasn't poisoned. Maybe they were just being sneaky about protecting him, like I was. But, if they were they are much better than me at it because I didn't notice once. Sure they were all too quick on the stick in the daytime when there was a bear or demon, but the threat I know the most about comes in the night. Only someone with clear advantage or an idiot attacks during the day. Hence, all the people that have attacked us yet are idiots. Was I paranoid…maybe? But, I had good reason. The Herald is basically defenseless without the four of us…and even with me constantly jumping in front of him it would only take one arrow and game over. I frowned at the thought, my thoughts continuously looping as I focused on the road around us. My hands were loose on the reigns. I was calm, but ready. Fights and people didn't frighten me, right now the only thing that frightened me was letting the Herald get himself killed. For the next two or three hours we trotted through the rock and dirt road, the horses hooves clopping and echoing off of the mountains as we neared Haven. I smiled to myself at the thought of finally getting to sleep in an actual bed instead of a cot or bed roll. Looking around us I waited for any sound other than the one of a horses' hooves against the rocky path. Everything was quiet, too quiet. The world seemed to have gone quiet for a moment and I noticed the Seekers shoulders tense up ahead of us and I gripped my dagger at my hip. Was it about to happen? Was there shit about to go down? I waited as we moved through the pass, but nothing came. Nothing at all. The entire time after we left the pass I felt like we were being watched. A heat on the back of your neck that makes you feel uncomfortable and cautious. I was stiff for the rest of the ride back until we rode into Haven and the people greeted us cheerily as we dismounted our horses and walked our separate ways. I walked towards the Chantry, but stopped when I heard shouting. I resumed towards the Chantry where the sound was coming from and jogged up the stairs to see Templars and Mages facing each other. Blazing eyes and weapons just yearning to be reached for. I shook my head. I'm surrounded by morons. _Yes, let's erupt into civil war in the middle of Haven, sounds like a great plan. Damn, irresponsible sons of bitches_. I chided in my mind as I moved forward quickly to stop the fight as they yelled at each other.

"Your kind killed the most Holy!" The Templar in front yelled and the Mage opposite to him scoffed.

"Wrong! Your kind let her die!" He yelled back in retort and the Templar tried to pull his sword as the Mage flicked his staff from his back. I gripped the Mages hand to stop him.

"Enough!" I yelled and heard it echo in a deeper voice beside me. I paused as I looked over to see Cullen standing next to me with his hand pressed against the shoulder of the Templar in a menacing way. I stepped away from the Mage and moved out of the Commander's way as he growled at the men around him. Leaning against the wall of the Chantry I watched as Cullen spoke angrily.

"But Knight-Captain!" One of the Templars yelled and Cullen's body stiffened.

"That is not my title! We are not Templars any longer! We are all part of the Inquisition." He stated as he pointed an accusatory finger at both the Mages and the Templars. I smirked at the back of his form, until I heard a weasel-like voice break into the conversation.

"And what does that mean, exactly? I think we are all interested in hearing it." The Chancellor asked and I scoffed at the same time Cullen did. Interested in the conversation I continued to lean against the wall.

"Of course you are." Cullen ground out before looking at the people gathered. "Back to your duties. All of you." He announced and I looked around as the people vacated the area only leaving him and the Chancellor before Cullen spoke. "The Mages and Templar were already at war, now they're blaming each other for the Divine's Death." He said. _Because they're morons. Except you, Cullen. You're pretty…SMART. Pretty smart. You are pretty smart…_ I corrected in my mind as I saw the Chancellor nod as he placed his hands behind his back.

"Which is why you require a proper authority to guide them back to order." I rolled my eyes,

"Who you? A random cleric not important enough to be at the Conclave?" Cullen shot back quick as a whip.

"The rebel Inquisition and its so-called 'Herald of Andraste'? I think not."

"I don't know, the Inquisition seems as functional as any young family." Trevelyan shot back with a grin and I smirked, but it fell almost immediately. _Family?_

"How many families are on the verge of splitting into open warfare with themselves?" The Chancellor threw back at the Herald and I stifled a laugh. _Have you even heard of the Chantry?_

"Yes, because that would never happen to the Chantry." Cullen answered with a small chuckle amongst his words. _He can read minds, can't he?_

"Centuries of tradition will guide us. We are not the upstart, eager to turn over every apple cart." Chancellor Roderick replied haughtily making my eyes roll in response. _Oh, whatever._

"Please remind me why we are allowing the Chancellor to stay here, Commander." The Herald asked and I stifled another laugh as the Chancellor looked over at me.

"Is there something you wish to contribute to the Conversation?" He asked and I smirked and leant a bit more against the wall.

"Nah, I don't have restraint as powerful as the Commander's. I might just end up contributing my fist to that weasel face of yours." I answered nonchalantly and he glared at me before raising his nose into the air.

"Well, it appears your Templar knows where to draw the line." He responded and I chuckled at that before Cullen spoke.

"He's toothless, no use making a martyr out of him for just running his mouth." He spoke and Trevelyan nodded before looking at the Chancellor.

"I will bring good news back from Orlais." He responded and I smiled as he walked past me. The Chancellor strode off and Cullen raised a hand to his temples. I grinned and shook my head as he turned to me.

"I was serious you know? I don't mind punching a prig in the face." I said with a smile and pushed off the wall. He shook his head and grinned.

"As much as I'd like to, that would only reflect badly on us." I nodded and sighed,

"Ugh, he's just so annoying. How do you deal with that and stay so calm?" I asked and he chuckled as we turned towards the Chantry.

"As you said, I have more restraint than you." He said and I glowered playfully at him before winking at him. Waltzing off towards the War Room where I'd seen Trevelyan go I smirked at the Commander behind me.

"You're probably right." I say with a wink in his direction before sauntering off towards the war room, but paused and smiled to myself. The Chantry was warm, not in temperature but in the feeling of it and for a moment I was back in the Conclave with Divine Justinia. The incense burning around us as she gave me a motherly smile. My hand trailed along the wall, the stone raising as if to my touch.

" _Your help has been immeasurable, Lady Thedran." Divine Justinia told me as we walk down the hallways of the Conclave to her throne room. "Leliana has told me of your recent victory in Dumonde. Very well done." The memory of Dumonde and all the dead in the streets flashing horridly in my mind. The man I was ordered to take care of lying among the dead in the street. His eyes still wide in shock. I smiled despite the memory and shoved the thoughts into the back of my mind._

" _Thank you, your Perfection." I bowed to her and she touched my chin lightly to get me to look at her. I obeyed and glanced up at her with an unsure smile._

" _What's troubling you, child?" She asked me with a comforting smile. My heart sunk in my chest, she could always see through me. I'd been with her for 3 years and not one time had I gotten away with keeping something from her which was very disheartening for a woman of my particular talents._

" _It's…well, your Perfection do you believe the Maker has his hand in everything?" I ask and she looked forward, wisdom crossed her eyes as she stared off towards a statuette of Andraste holding flames._

" _I believe he does. Why do you ask?" She asked me and I dropped my head._

" _I…I just find it hard to believe that if the Maker had his hand in everything that he would let all those bad things happen in places like Dumonde. Slaughter as I've never seen before women, men and children all killed in the streets caught in the crossfire of Mages and Templars." I paused looking up at her for answers. "Why would the Maker let that happen?" I added searching for my answer in her eyes, but instead found comfort._

" _My dear child, I have asked myself that very question. Why would the Maker allow these acts to happen? The only answer I can offer you is that we may not see it, but the Maker's hand is in all things. It could be something as small as one child surviving the massacre or a hero saving as many as she can…" She said with a smile pointed towards me. I felt a blush stain my cheeks as I realized she was talking about me. "I believe the Maker sent you there to save those people." Her words washed over me, trying my very best to believe them as she did. But, there was no way I was an instrument of the Maker's will._

" _You truly believe that? That the Maker would send someone like me to those people? After all I've done?" I asked her incredulously expecting her to explain her reasons for saying those things. She gripped my shoulder gently._

" _Lady Protector." She said, but it wasn't her voice. "My Lady?"_ I was jerked from my thoughts and looked over to see Cullen standing just in front of me with his hand brushing past my shoulder as if he realized he shouldn't have touched me.

"I apologize, Commander. I zoned out, was there something you were saying?" I asked politely as he pulled his hands behind his back in a very formal way and inclined his head.

"Yes, the Herald has summoned a War Council. Will you be attending?" He asked as he looked towards the door in the back of the Chantry. I nodded sending him a lopsided smile.

"Sure, why not? Nothing like chatting about foreign policy and military strategy to spice up your otherwise uneventful day." I chimed in sarcastically noticing him smirk out of the corner of my eye.

"Good to see someone shares my enthusiasm." He responded with a chuckle. I rolled my eyes as we walked forwards towards the War room. The door opened blocking out the scent of incense only to be greeted with the scent of old books and ink. Looking around the War room I took notice that Leliana was watching me carefully. Her eyes flickering over my face before a worried look flashed over hers only briefly. I paused and looked to her with concern, but saw her nod shortly before pulling her attention to the Herald as everyone got in their usual places for War Meetings. Cullen in the middle, Leliana to the left, Josephine to his right. Then Cassandra to the left of the Herald and me to the right. Looking to Leliana I felt a twinge of confusion hit me. Why did she give me that look? Was something wrong? Was the Herald in danger? Was I? I'd sent her the ring from the dead Templar. Maybe she'd found something out about it. But, why that look?

"Master Dennet's horses are a fine addition to the Inquisition. I will see they are well tended." Cullen said, breaking my train of thought. I looked to the Herald as he looked down at the War Table for a moment. His eyes lingering on Val Royeaux. He moved the Inquisitions token onto it and I saw Josephine crack a smile.

"Having the Herald address the clerics, is not a bad idea." She voiced as she scribbled on her papers. I stared at her incredulously. She thinks it's a good idea to just waltz the Herald into Val Royeaux where there are numerous sisters and clerics that would see his head on a pike? _And yours._ My mind reminded me and I paused.

"You can't be serious." I huffed and it echoed again with Cullen's much deeper voice. I paused and looked at him before looking back to Josephine. She looked in between us before nodding.

"Mother Giselle isn't wrong. At the moment the Chantry's only strength is that they are united." She stated sternly giving Cullen a pointed look. I rolled my eyes as Cullen rubbed his neck seeming very irritated.

"And we should ignore the danger to the Herald?" Leliana asked in the same tone as Josephine. Josephine turned to the Herald and smiled.

"Let's ask him." She responded. The Herald looked to me as if asking what he should do before looking back at Josephine.

"What can they do? It's just talk." He answered bravely and I squeezed my eyes shut. Oh, their 'talk' can do much, Herald.

"You underestimate the power of words. An angry mob will do you in as quickly as a blade." Leliana interjected gravely, and she wasn't wrong. The Herald tensed at her words, and almost immediately Cassandra stepped forward.

"I will go with him." She said seriously and I rolled my eyes, but tensed when I saw the Herald look to me.

"Will you go too?" He asked. It was the first time he'd spoken to me in days other than to alert me in battle. I was a little shocked he wanted me to go at all. I shot him a quick grin and nodded,

"Of course I will. I wouldn't miss out on the chance to punch a cleric." I responded with a grin and herad Cassandra scoff in a disgusted manner.

"We are going there to speak peacefully, Thedran." She hissed at me. Her brows pulled tightly together on her forehead. I smirked,

"No, _you_ are going there to speak peacefully." I commented and saw her start to fume.I silently congratulated before she scoffed once more.

"Mother Gisselle said she could provide names. Use them." She stated, directing her words at Leliana.

"But, why? This is nothing but a-"

"What choice do we have, Leliana? Right now we can't approach anyone for help with the Breach. Use what influence we have to call forth the Clerics together. Once they are ready we will see this through." Cassandra interjected as she looked to all of them. As much as I hate to admit it, she was right. We wouldn't last a month if we didn't have some support. The meeting was adjourned, but Leliana looked at me and spoke up.

"Lady Protector if you would please hang back. I have some matters to discuss with you." She said very cryptically and I nodded and leant against the wall as the others left. Once the door was shut Leliana pulled a letter from her pocket and handed it to me. "This was found in your cabin. We don't know who it is from…nor how it got there." She said slowly and my heart started to beat very fast in my chest. If this had Leli worried…I probably should be too. Opening the letter I sat against the table for support.

 _My dearest Quinn,_

 _I hope this letter finds you well. Even though I know you nameday is not for another two days, I could not wait. I wish I could be there to see your beautiful face when you read this letter, but alas I cannot. My darling, it has been far too long since I have had the pleasure of being around you. That is why I wish to arrange a meeting. Just the two of us. I understand you're part of the Inquisition now, and you can let them know no harm will come to you. Meet me tonight in the pass just outside of Haven and I will give you all the information you desire. But, only if you come alone. Yours and forever. T_

Looking back up at Leli I saw her drawing her hands together as she watched me. I placed the letter down in front of me, my mind working quickly as I thought over every scenario as to why and who sent this to me. Could it be the people that my father warned me about? But, why approach me like this? And who was 'T'? I looked to Leliana once more and grimaced.

"Well…looks like I have a date with this…'T' person." I said and she let out a small laugh. "What?" I asked her incredulously. She smiled and shook her head,

"That was not the response I imagined when I told you." She said and I tilted my head in agreement.

"Well what do I have to fear? The letter said that whoever 'T' is, is not going to hurt me, and even if they tried they couldn't." I said confidently and she smiled crookedly as she lifted the letter to her to read it again.

"The one thing that worries me is the names this person is calling you. 'Dearest', 'darling'? And then 'yours and forever'? This person sounds like they're in love with you." She stated and I nodded leaning against the wall, wondering if I should be a bit nervous about this. But, my pride wouldn't let me be. I straightened my shoulders a bit looking to Leli again as she handed it back to me. "This is a trap." She stated simply and I nodded nonchalantly.

"Oh, certainly. But, I must say I'm curious as to who this person is. Plus, if this person is linked to the people my Father was speaking of then he is going to answer every question I have, willing or otherwise." I responded with a sly grin. She grinned back and headed towards the door.

"I will have my best scouts look for traps or any sign of this mystery person." She noted as she opened the door. I nodded as I walked with her out of the War Room.

"Thank you, Nightingale." I thanked bowing my head to her and she bowed her head back to me.

"You're welcome, Sparrow." She responded quietly with her tell-tale smirk cast upon her lips. We walked wordlessly out into the square of Haven before we parted ways. Alright, what to do. I could take a nap, or I could prepare for tonight. Was there anything to prepare for though? It most certainly felt trap-ish. Walking down the steps I saw Varric standing by the campfire and he immediately turned to me as I smiled to him.

"Hello, Varric." I greeted and he shot me a quick grin back accompanied by a nod.

"What's up, Angel?" He asked as he sat down on a bench. I sat down across from him and leant forward as I adjusted myself to the unforgiving cold wood.

"You know, not much. Kicking ass and making friends. The usual. You?" I asked as he chuckled. He smiled at me before shaking his head.

"Maker, you know I'm glad you're here. I'd be a bit bored if you weren't." He confessed making me chuckle with him before pointing up at the Breach.

"Oh yes, I can see how fighting against a big, green hole in the sky could get boring. Especially with this lively bunch here." I responded jutting my thumb in a general direction. He followed the thumb and I did as well noticing Cassandra had just walked by and was scowling at us. "Well that was perfect timing." I said with a grin and saw her scoff in disgust before striding off. "You know I'm really concerned for her." I added empathetically and he lifted an eye brow at me.

"Oh? And why is that?" He asked sounding very confused. I fought the urge to smirk as I looked seriously at Varric.

"That stick has been up her ass for a long time. I'm concerned it'll start causing internal damage." Varric stared at me for a moment before laughing heartily and falling out of his seat on the bench. I started laughing as well more out of his response to my joke than to my actual joke. He sat back in his seat and wiped his eyes.

"Andraste's ass I needed that." He said as his laughter subsided. I grinned before looking over and seeing Cullen walk past the gates of Haven and towards the blacksmith's. I paused my thinking as he looked over at me and I turned back to Varric trying to play it cool. Even though I'm fairly certain it looked like I'd nearly broken my neck with how quick I whipped my head. Varric noticed, but didn't say anything, instead he did something significantly worse and smiled at me. His cunning mind already figuring out that I thought that Commander was especially good looking. "I guess I'm not the only one who is glad you're here." He added quietly and I shot him a glare before rolling my eyes.

"Oh please, I just think he's hot." I replied and heard him laugh.

"I never said who I was talking about." He responded with a haughty grin and I paused. _Damn you, Varric._

"You didn't have to. I know exactly who you were referring to." I shot back with a grin to match his. He chuckled and stood up and I followed him. I looked over towards the training grounds and looked back to Varric. "I'm heading to train, head down there if you want to join me." I said and he grinned and nodded,

"If I don't, I'll be in the Tavern." He said with a wave before heading off. I trotted down the steps and to the blacksmiths and almost exhaled when I noticed I didn't see Cullen. Part of me however was a little upset I didn't. I liked talking to him, but at the same time he did something strange to me. Like suddenly I was tripping over my own tongue. Was it because he was hot? No, that couldn't be it. I'd met plenty of men of equal hotness, so what was it about this guy? It was positively infuriating. He was infuriating. I strode towards the blacksmiths and immediately went to the workbench and grabbed some schematics and looked for a new dagger grip. Mine was okay, but it could always be improved. I found one and grinned as I pulled the leather strips and began to assemble the grip. Pulling off my jacket and cloak I hung them up next to me as I worked. It was too hot in here with the forge. Finally finishing the grips I held them in my hands and smiled satisfied at my creation.

"Ah, Lady Protector. I thought I'd find you here. Sister Leliana told me you liked to tinker at times." I smiled to Harrit as I held the hilts out to him with a grin. He looked at the grips and nodded with a grunt. "Looks good. Very skillfully done, Lady Protector." He commended. I smiled brightly and whipped them back into their loops and pulled my jacket back on, but felt him stop me. "Is that a hole?" He asked and I nodded before shaking my hair out of it. "Well, that just won't work. Here, I made a new design. Figured someone would like to try it, and it just might fit you. You are a rather small thing." He said and quickly walked over to a crate and came back with a beautiful deep red overcoat with a metal plate that clamped together in the direct middle. The metal curving up around the shoulders and down the arms to create wrist band. I grinned brightly at the man as he held it up to me. "Here try it on." He said and pushed the garment into my hands. Quickly pulling it on, I clamped it and grinned as I moved around. It was perfect.

"Harrit you are magic." I praised as I moved around. "How much do I owe you for it?" I asked and he waved his hand,

"It's free. I'm just glad to see it getting some use." He said with a smile before grabbing my old jacket and mumbling something as he stuck his finger through the hole in the shoulder. I pulled my cloak off the hook and swung it around me before leaving the blacksmith's hardly containing my excitement to try out my new jacket. Walking towards the training circle I swung my cloak onto a post and gripped my daggers in a ready position and began assaulting the dummies.

"You are quite the force of nature aren't you?" I heard a voice ask from behind me and I stilled my assaults and turned towards the voice and saw Trevelyan standing there with a smile. I smiled back a bit confused as to why he was talking to me. "I'm sorry for what happened in the Hinterlands. I wanted to thank you for saving me, again. And I also thank you for showing me how stupid I was being." He said as he shuffled his feet and tapped his blade. "But, I wanted to make it up to you! I saw you training over here and thought you might want a dummy that could fight back." He added quickly and I looked to the dummy behind me before smiling at him.

"You're on, Herald." I responded and flipped my daggers in my hands and leant against the broken dummy. He pulled his sword and shield out and readied himself. We circled for a moment before I attacked. Both daggers extended towards him, but they were stopped by his shield. I twisted and slashed towards his waist and stopped the dagger from connecting with his armor and grinned. Jumping away quickly I held up a dagger to stop the sword that sped towards my head and grinned as I allowed the sword to get close to my face. "Nice." I said before flicking the blade away from me and flipping around him. We fought like this for a while. I was mostly testing out how much he'd learned, and was very pleased to see it was a profound difference from the last time we fought. Suddenly, his sword went to slam into my side, and I twisted too quickly and kicked his shield up. Accidentally kicking it a bit too hard it jumped up and collided with his forehead. He backed away and dropped to his knee gripping his forehead, moaning in pain. "Oh sweet Maker-" I cursed before dropping to the Heralds side I looked at his forehead and grimaced when I saw the red mark along his forehead. "Uh…I'm sorry. I didn't think it'd…uh, you know…do that." I said with a wince and he chuckled as he rubbed his forehead.

"It's probably my fault. I didn't expect you to kick it." He laughed before wincing and rubbing his forehead again. I lightly patted his shoulder before pulling him up to stand.

"C'mon Herald, Upsy-daisy." I grunted as I lifted him to his feet. He wobbled, but steadied quickly as his hand rubbed his forehead. "I think that's enough training for today. Why don't you go to Adan and get that bandaged?" I asked as I noticed droplets of blood falling from his eyebrow. He wiped it away and smiled,

"I think that's the best course of action. I'll see you later at the Tavern?" He asked and I grinned,

"I'll try to see you there." I said, but I knew I probably wouldn't be able to. I had a meeting with an anonymous 'T'. He walked away and jogged up the stairs entering Haven and exiting my view. My eyes, however, traveled to the Commander who was standing tall in front of all his troops. I smiled, but looked up and saw the sun already setting. _Sorry, Commander. I'll have to postpone flirting with you._ I mused to myself, but noticed Leliana striding down the steps and her eyes immediately found mine as I walked over to the stables. I noticed that she was following me and smiled to myself as I started to saddle Belle up.

"Are you ready, Lady Protector?" She asked and latched a buckle on the saddle. I nodded with a confident smile.

"Oh yeah. I'm actually feeling a bit giddy about it." I grinned back at her as I clipped the last of the buckles in place. Tugging at the saddle to make sure it was secure I then swung onto it as the sun sank below the mountains. Leliana patted the saddle. An expression too hard to read crossed her features as she looked up at me. "What's wrong, Leli? You're not worried are you?" I asked her as a smirk pulled at her lips.

"If it were anyone else, yes, I would be. But, you can handle whatever is waiting for you in that pass." I grinned and patted her hand.

"Thanks for the pep talk. I'll give you a full report when I return." I responded and rode the horse out of the stalls and past the Commander as he strode towards his tent. He turned as I galloped past him and looked as if he were about to say something, but I was already gone. Belle's long strides beating against the snowy ground as I directed her towards the pass. We arrived and I swung off of her and walked into the pass slowly. I could hear my footsteps echoing off of the walls. The crunch of snow sounding obnoxiously loud in my ears. My hands tightened on my daggers as I waited. "Well, I'm here. Oh cryptic one." I said loudly and heard a chuckle as a response.

"Yes, you are." The voice was distorted crackling in my ears coming from seemingly everywhere. "Hello, Quinn darling." The voice said again sounding closer this time. I felt anticipation for the fight set into my bones. Excitement forcing my mind into a state of intense clarity. The wind coming through the pass whipping my cloak around me. A hand came out of nowhere and touched my hair as it blew gently around me, and then just like that it was gone again.

"Well aren't you a creepy one?" I asked the air with a roll of my eyes and heard yet another chuckle, but no response. "Why don't you show yourself to me?" I asked, and could feel the tension in the air for a moment. Like a thread being pulled tighter than it should before the voice responded.

"No. But, I will answer every question you desire." I grinned and walked around to each shadow and felt for the mysterious person behind the distorted voice.

"Alright. Who are you?" I asked slowly as I walked towards another shadow.

"Come now, I think you have more pressing questions than that. Besides you already know it. I am 'T'." The voice responded ahead of me and I grinned as I neared the shadow, but found nothing. _Jackass._

"Right, are you associated with the people that are murdering assassins in Val Foret?" I asked and the voice made a sound that sounded very pleased.

"Ah, there we are. Now you're asking the right questions. The answer is yes and no. In some ways I am, and in some ways I am not." He answered in a sing song type of way. Rolling my eyes I crept through the shadows.

"Well I was right about you bring cryptic that's for damn sure. Alright, do you know who I truly am?" I asked the voice and there was a silence. Perhaps the voice was trying to figure out what it was going to say. I waited and for a moment I was sure the voice had left until it finally responded.

"Yes. I do." It responded and I knew I was nearing the fight. Slipping a single dagger from its holster I hid it in my cloak and grinned.

"Is this a trap?" I asked confidently as the air seemed to be sucked from the pass.

"Yes, but not meant for you." It said and I deflated a bit in confusion. Not for me? "We are not after you just yet, and didn't I say no harm would come to you?" It added to my confusion. I walked towards another shadow and saw the figure of the voice slide out of view.

"Then who was it meant for?" I asked loudly, annoyed with the cryptic answers I was receiving. But, the voice seemed to ignore my question.

"We know where your Father is and who he is. I respect the man and you. That is why I am offering you a trade. I will bring your Father safely to you." He said and I raised an eyebrow. "All you have to do is let the Herald die tonight." He said and I felt a pang in my chest. Like something in my heart had snapped at the thought. I couldn't let the Herald die! He was innocent and good and we needed him to save the world. But, my Father…

"And if I refuse?" I asked the shadows and felt the person behind me. The voice in a low hiss now.

"A life for a life. If the Herald lives, your Father dies." The voice hissed close to me ear. A chill ran down my spine and my blood turned to ice in my veins. My father for the Herald? "At the moment the Herald is standing on the ice in the pond beside Haven. Normally it would be safe, but if it was tampered with…well that could cause some problems." The voice said and my throat seemed to close up. Maker…no. "Stay here, Quinn. If you try and save him now, you could die. I would never want to hurt you-" I whipped my blades out behind me catching something like skin or fabric and heard the voice cry out in pain.

"Not a wise sentiment on your part." With that said I burst from the pass and threw myself onto Belle. My heart pounding in my chest as I raced back with Belle full speed. _The voice was lying. It had to be. Someone in Haven would've stopped the Herald._ Belles' hooves beating faster and faster down the path to Haven before reaching the gates and emerging from them to see people gathered around the lake. _NO, no, no, no, no._ I ran between them and emerged at the lake and saw Cullen standing on the ice as Cassandra stepped beside him. I shook my head, _Why are they out there too!? Maker is everyone a moron?_ I jumped down onto the ice and moved forward quickly past them.

"Stay back the ice has been tampered with!" I barked at them and they both looked up at me in shock.

"Lady Protector!" Cullen said before gripping my arm. "Don't go out there! We cannot afford to lose both of you!" He fussed, but I wrenched my arm from his grip.

"I know, that's why I'm going to save the Herald." I stated before moving forward and looking at the Herald as I slid each foot ahead slowly. "Hey there Trevelyan." I said with a smile as I moved my feet forward very slowly avoiding all cracks. He looked up nervously at me and shook his head and held his hands forward.

"Quinn! Stay back! It's too dangerous, you could fall in!" He cried nervously and I smiled calmly,

"It's alright. No one is falling in. You're going to be fine, I promise. But, you have to do exactly as I say, okay?" He nodded, but stilled when the ice cracked a bit more under his feet. I froze up as well and stopped moving completely. I was too far away to reach him. "Alright, very slowly I want you to lie down on your stomach. Spread your arms and legs out wide and stay very still." He nodded and did as I said. Sweat dripping off of his skin out of fear. I smiled and did the same and looked at my palm and tried to make the mark spark up, but it was no use. It hadn't sparked up in a while. Like ever since the day I saved Cullen. Grimacing I looked around for an idea, but couldn't think of any. He was too far away to reach, and if I tried to walk out there I'd surely make it crack faster. "Alright, try crawling towards the pier." I said noticing where the least amount of cracks were and saw him start to move, but the cracks only got worse and he called out nervously.

"Quinn…" I looked around and saw Cullen standing not far from me and flipped onto my back. The ice cracking behind me, each one bringing the Herald closer and closer to his grave.

"Cullen push me!" I called and he looked at me incredulously. "Push me really hard towards the Herald!" I yelled and he moved towards me quickly and placed his hands close to my feet.

"Are you sure about this?" He asked, his face white as the snow covering Haven. I shook my head,

"Nope." I replied as I looked back at Trevelyan. The ice was breaking faster and faster as he tried desperately to crawl away. "NOW!" I yelled and shoved off of Cullen's hands as he pushed me and I shot towards the Herald, my back sliding along the ice. I was like an arrow fired from a bow as I lifted my hands above my head to push the Herald away when I got close and felt my hands connect with him and my momentum stopped as the ice broke and Trevelyan skidded off into the rocky shore. _Safe._ The icy water hit me like a slap in the face and my eyes flew wide open as I tried to swim back above the surface, but the pieces of ice had already frozen back over. Drawing my daggers I stabbed the ice from underneath as I held my breath for as long as I possibly could. The water was numbing my body as I punched the ice and saw Cullen kneeling over the ice chopping at it with his blade, but nothing seemed to work. It was enchanted. That's what the voice had meant by 'tampered'. Frantically Cullen stabbed at the ice, but it wasn't even chipping. I pounded my fists against it my heart beating faster and faster as the oxygen in my lungs depleted. I heard his cries and the cry of others smothered by the ice and water around me. My body was too numb to keep pounding and I placed my palm up to the glass. Cullen's palm came to mine on the opposite side of the ice. His eyes wide with fear. My eyes started to close before a flash of green erupted under my palm and suddenly I could breathe again as I fell through the air and toppled onto something fluffy and hard. The person beneath me groaned a bit before turning over and looking at me in shock. Cullen's eyes were still so wide as he grabbed hold of my soaking form. "Sorry, I'm sorry." I whispered, apologizing for toppling onto him. His eyes were wide as I shivered relentlessly. My breath coming out in short shivering huffs. _Sweet Maker I'm cold_. He suddenly helped me up.

"We need to get you warmed up." He said as he helped me to my cabin. I was a shivering mess soaked in my own clothing. His body heat not doing much to keep me warm. He pulled me into the cabin and sat me down in front of the fire place and went over to my trunk and opened it. I paused and shook my head when I saw his eyes drift to the present, but he moved past it and grabbed some of my extra clothing. He laid some down next to me, "I'll be right outside, call when you are done changing your clothing." He said before leaving and shutting the door. I quickly changed and moved closer to the fire.

"Uh, you can come back in." I called out through shivers and heard the door open up behind me and close just as quickly. Cullen's heavy boot steps falling until he was right next to me and suddenly I felt something heavy, warm and fluffy covering my shoulders. A warm musky and citrus scent filled my nose as I looked up at him and tightened the fluffy thing around me. "Thank you." I whispered as I combed my fingers through my matted, soaked hair. He smiled at me as he sat down on a chair.

"You're welcome." He murmured back as I turned back to the fire with a faint blush on my cheeks. He suddenly straightened. "That was very reckless of you." He said very abruptly as I vibrated from the cold slowly seeping from my bones. I groaned audibly,

"You're just upset you didn't think of it." I shot back with a grin, but realized it was the wrong thing to say a bit too late. Cullen didn't smile, instead huffed at me and ran a hand along the back of his neck.

"I cannot tell if you are the most reckless person I've met, or the bravest." He replied sounding angry, but I took it as a compliment. I grinned and shrugged at that as I felt my body start to warm up.

"To be honest, it's probably a bit of both." I responded and looked into the fire. Suddenly the door opened again and Cullen moved slightly behind me to block the cold as the door slammed shut.

"Quinn! Quinn are you alright?" The Herald asked as he moved towards me. I looked over my shoulder at him as he smiled nervously. Cullen stood and I noticed a look of anger cross his face.

"Herald, now that you are safe. It is time to explain what exactly you were doing on that ice." Cullen asked very pointedly and Trevelyan seemed to shrink under his piercing gaze.

"I…I was at the Tavern and Quinn never showed so I went to the training grounds and I didn't see her there, but I heard something coming from the lake. Like someone was calling for help and I'd been across it before and it never cracked…so I went and checked it out, and when I got to the middle it started to crack." He explained and I groaned,

"You could have died going out on that ice!" He reprimanded the Herald and I turned to both of them.

"He could have, but I stopped that from happening." I interjected hoping to lessen Cullen's wrath. Instead he pointed it at me and glared. _Bad idea, Quinn._

"And you almost drowned under that ice! I couldn't get you out and you almost died!" He yelled and I stood with his cloak falling against my shoulders. Moving between Cullen and the Herald, I glared at the Commander.

"But, I didn't. If you haven't noticed I'm still alive. The Herald is still alive. I understand you were freaked out, but it wasn't his fault. You know something was up with that ice! It was a trap, there's no way the Herald could have known." I argued back my hand moving on its own volition as it placed itself on his chest. He stared down at me heatedly,

"Where did you go?" He asked seriously and I faltered, _huh?_

"Why is it pertinent to this conversation?" I asked just as seriously and saw something new flash in his eyes. He looked disappointed in me and a bit offended that I didn't offer my secrets up on a silver platter.

"How did you know the ice had been tampered with?" He questioned even more seriously than he had before. His eyes molten gold burning through my soul looking for answers. I felt the Heralds eyes on me as I threw up my hands. I almost froze to death, I gave up my Father's life, and now I was being treated like a child? _Ridiculous._ "What are you hiding from us?" He growled and I had to hold myself back from slapping him in the face. _Sweet Maker he's asking for it._ I owed nothing to these people. My secrets are my own to bear, no one else's. Coldly, I sneered at him,

"Commander, don't you trust me?" I asked him and saw him sneer back at me. His eyes burning brighter than before. He looked as if he were thinking over his words in his head before he spoke again. His eyes searching my face.

"I would trust you more if you told me what you're hiding." He ground out between his teeth and I laughed at the man before me. His form towering over mine imposingly, but he was the least of my worries.

"I bet you would." I hissed and looked down at my hands for a moment before looking back up at him angry at his stupidity. "But, you see, I'm not an idiot. I'm not going to give over my secrets just because some pretty boy Templar asked nicely! In order for me to tell you my secrets, I have to trust you." I growled as I neared his face, standing on my tippy-toes. "And I don't." I added and saw his eyes glare tightly at me before pushing past from me and storming from the room. _Maker that stupid handsome idiot!_ I heaved out a loud sigh trying to calm myself before hearing Trevelyan shuffle behind me.

"Quinn…I, uh, I'm sorr-"

"Get out, Herald. Please, I wish to be left alone." I grunted and without a word the Herald left and shut the door behind him. I sighed and dropped down to my knees in front of the fire Cullen's mane-like cloak falling off my shoulder again. Staring down at the fur I balled a hand into it in anger in a failed attempt to control myself. I sat like that by the fire for what seemed like ages, the heat of the fire washing over me harmlessly as I petted the fur on Cullen's mane to keep calm. _Maybe this is why he wore it? So he didn't strangle infuriating people like me._ I mused before I heard a knock at the door. "Go away." I called out to the person at the door and to my shock it opened and a familiar red head popped through the door.

"Well, I have to give it to you my friend you have done the impossible." She said with a lopsided grin and I lifted an eye brow at her.

"I hardly call surviving being drowned by a frozen enchanted lake impossible." I grunted and she laughed,

"Oh no, I meant pissing the Commander off. I don't think I've ever seen him as angry as he was stalking out of this very cabin." She confessed and I groaned, "I know you're good, but I didn't know you were that good." She added with a wide grin.

"Not. Helping. Leli." I stated as I looked towards her with a scowl on my face. She pointed at me with glee, more than I'd seen in her ever.

" _Oh!_ Yes that was the look he gave me when I asked if you were alright!" I rolled my eyes at her words and shifted against the wall of the cabin. "My friend, what is wrong?" She asked as she moved towards me before sitting down next to me against the wall. Looking over at the fire I recapped all that had happened in the pass. Her eyes widened and she shook her head, "But that is impossible. Your father is one of the greatest assassins in all of Thedas. They could not possibly defeat him, much less capture him. This has to be a trick of sorts." She told me trying to comfort me, but it didn't help. Who's to say these people couldn't take my Father? Unexpectedly a tear fell from my eye and I paused in astonishment and touched my cheek. The tear soaking into the pad of my finger. No. I wouldn't break down. My Father was a bastard. All the things he'd done to me, and I didn't even know for sure if this was a trick or not. He could be alive. _But, did I really want that?_ So many conflicting feelings rushing through my head as I looked down at the floor. _He's still my Father._ Even more unexpected than the tear Leliana pulled me into the shortest of hugs and I stilled. Mostly confused. "It will be alright, my friend." She whispered as she let me go and I let out a laugh and smirked at her. "What?" She asked,

"You were so nice for a moment I thought you were going to murder me." I laughed and she punched me in the arm. Rubbing my newly bruising arm with a small laugh I added, "Just kidding, you'd be so sad if you murdered me." I grinned before leaning my head against the wall of the cabin and she did the same.

"I don't know, I feel it would certainly be quieter around here." She responded slyly and I laughed,

"If you wanted quiet you should've stayed in the Chantry, Sister." I shot back nudging her side as we stared at the opposite wall. We stayed like that for a while and I appreciated her presence. She had been my greatest friend through the years, and I had missed her when I was out in my missions and away controlling her network where she couldn't. "I've missed this Leli. Spending time with you like this." I confessed and she grinned and turned her head towards me.

"Are you going to murder me?" She asked and I laughed,

"Very funny."


	8. Chapter 8

That night I didn't sleep. Partly from the frazzling events that happened just hours ago and partly because of the haunting words of the voice regarding my Father. The man who raised me being killed because I chose someone who I barely knew. Part of me didn't even believe that my Father could be killed. The man was even better than I was at evading and hiding. I wanted to go to my old home. To check to make sure that my Father was actually okay and alive. But, part the more insistent, stubborn part of me didn't want to. After all he's done to me. All he made me do…does he really deserve my worry? He is my Father though…the man who raised me. Who taught me how to read and fight. The man who was all the family I had left. Leliana had reassured me my Father would be safe. So why didn't I believe her? Why did something about the voice's words still haunt me? Shifting my position on the uncomfortable roof I moved the bow I'd found in the armory and quiver of arrows at my hip ready to strike anything that came near the Heralds cabin. My eyes drift closed, but I flinched awake at the memory of being underneath the ice replaying behind my eye lids. The burning in my lungs, his form just above me trying to free me. His frantic assaults on the ice-

"Ow." I muttered when my hand all of the sudden flashed up. Glaring down at the sparkling green hand I then shoved into my cloak and looked away towards Cullen's tent. I felt a pang of guilt punch me in the stomach at the thought of him. How right he'd been when he accused me. Maker knows I deserved every word he'd thrown at me. _What are you hiding from us?_ He'd been so angry. I'd done that and, now thanks to Leli, I was partially proud of making him so angry. Controlled Commander Cullen losing his temper. Perhaps I was that good. Or maybe I just knew how to get under his skin specifically. But his words had got me thinking, perhaps I should tell them. Let them all know what was going on before it got out of hand. Well, any more than it already has. _No, if I did I'd only make them distrust me…well distrust me more than they already do and that wouldn't be beneficial to anyone._ Pinching the bridge of my nose I sighed. The note my Father had sent me said that they were after the assassins…why would they not try and kill me? Why trap the Herald instead? What could they possibly gain from that? Why toy with me? It just didn't make any sense. I practically gift wrapped myself and they gave me a choice…was it to show where my allegiance lies now? Or was it to show me they could get to anyone close to me? I didn't know. Obviously such things were beyond my paygrade…if I even have a paygrade now.

Rolling my eyes I shifted to a lying position and watched as the sun rose from the behind the mountains, illuminating the town before me. Just below I heard the townspeople wake. I looked at them all walking around and grimaced lightly at their oblivious way of carrying on with their lives. They didn't seem to care about the Breach in the sky, the Herald's near death experience or the fact that their lives were reliant on that same person not dying. They all just seemed to be the happy villagers following the same procedure they did every day. _I wish my life would be that simple._ Sliding from the roof I walked over to my cabin and opened the creaky wooden door. Pacing about for a moment I thought about the mission at hand. We had to travel to Val Royeaux, speak to the Sisters, and then somehow convince them to help us or at least hear us out. I tossed the bow and quiver onto my bed and walked over to my chest. Grabbing the travel bag I grabbed clothing that Leli had so kindly ordered for me and stuffed them in without order. My hands stopped as they grazed over the presents' satin bow and I opened it slowly to pick up the wristlets with their hidden blades. So ornate and beautiful, yet mutely dangerous. Perfect weapon for an assassin. Longingly I held the wristlets and thought of my Mother. She's want me to wear these in her memory, wouldn't she? Or would she want a better life for me? One that meant completely moving past my assassin days. How could I know? Father had said she'd wanted me to have them, but for what purpose? To use or as a reminder of what I left? But then again, Mother couldn't have possibly meant the latter. She was long dead when I left. I brought them to my lips and kissed them before placing them back into the box. My eyes caught sight of my old ring, the seal of the Guild of Assassins winking at me. It felt like it was almost calling for me, begging me to place it back on my finger. Picking it up, I stared at the ring intently and slid it onto my finger gingerly. It felt right, like it was meant to be on my finger all along. Abruptly a knock came at the door and I wheeled around realizing I'd never closed it and saw Solas standing in the doorway. I hid my hands inconspicuously behind my back and tugged the ring off before dropping it in the box.

"My apologies for startling you." He apologized and I smiled to him as I shut the chest.

"Quite alright, Solas." I replied with a smile. "What can I assist you with?" I asked kindly and he nodded as he looked around the room slowly.

"It is not as much as what you can assist me with as it is what I can assist you with." He replied as he tipped his head towards me. Staring at the elf I took register of everything I knew about him and found myself a bit troubled to find the list short. _Apostate, knows about the Fade, bald, smart._ There was a cunning look in his eyes as he looked me over that made me think he was doing the same.

"Is it about my mark?" I asked hopefully as I looked down at my hand. This thing saved my life and Cullen's life. Obviously it was useful, and if I could wield it properly…

"Yes, I believe it is." He said as he tapped his chin. "I was thinking over the events of last night. Your mark saved you from drowning underneath that lake. Did you do that on purpose?" He asked his eyes watching me as I looked down at the marked palm.

"I wish I could say yes. But, no, it just did it. All on its own." I sighed, but saw the spark of interest flash across Solas's face.

"Interesting. How did you feel right before it happened?" He asked as he leant against the door frame. I leant against the bed post and lifted an eye brow at him.

"You are asking me how I felt when I was drowning." I stated incredulously. He couldn't be serious, I was terrified and he just wanted me to admit that? I couldn't just say that out loud! He nodded,

"I understand. Pardon my intrusiveness, it is just that I had a hypothesis about what could be triggering your mark." He said a slight smile creasing his lips as he held the tip of his forefinger to his lips. I nodded for him to go on. "I believe it is triggered by emotion. Perhaps fear? Both times you have used your mark it has been to either save your life or someone else's. I was thinking perhaps it was fear of dying or fear of someone else dying around you." He added making me think it over. Maybe it was right? But, Maker I hope not. Fear was one of the hardest things I have to come to terms with. My father drilled into me that assassins do not fear. To admit that I'm afraid, or was afraid or even worse to have to acknowledge it every time I wanted to use my mark…that would suck.

"If this is correct, then would that mean that I am only able to use my mark in those situations?" I asked hoping that he would say no. If I could use it to, I don't know what to call it, maybe jump across places that would give me a serious advantage in both the Herald and keeping myself alive.

"I do not know. Although, I have theorized that you if you can somehow replicate those feelings you could use it whenever you wish. But, I believe the hard part lies within replicating those emotions." He said as his eyes fell on my hand at my side.

"Yeah, no kidding." I huffed and looked up to him with a smile. "Any thoughts on how exactly to do that?" I asked and he smiled and waved his hand for me to follow him and I did. Closing the door behind me, I walked with Solas slowly through Haven.

"Like I said, I believe it is your emotions that triggered the mark. I would assume a way to make it so you could control it would be to remember or relive the experience to which your mark reacted." I grimaced at the suggestion I could just almost drown again, in a controlled environment of course. Or I could try to get Cullen nearly killed again. Shaking my head I looked down at my palm. "Or you could wait until another instance happens where those emotions arise again. That way you don't have to do anything too unpleasant." He added with a soft smile and I grinned at him.

"Yeah, I'm not too keen on those other options." I replied as we turned the corner of the tavern and looked towards the walkway as I saw Cullen trekking up towards the Tavern. He looked tired, his hair only slightly out of place as he made his way up, but something was missing off of him. It suddenly struck me that I still had his cloak.

"I imagine." Solas said and I turned to him with a smile. "But, once you understand it and are able to replicate it I can help you better control it." He added offering me a short smile. "If you wish that is." He added.

"Yes! That would be great. Any help you can offer me with this thing would be much appreciated. Thank you, Solas. I am afraid however I must get back to packing for our trip for Val Royeaux. Thank you so much for speaking with me." I said and walked off back towards my cabin. I didn't want to speak with Cullen yet. I wasn't angry anymore, but I thought he might still be. He also did call me out on keeping secrets and hiding things from them, which means I need to space myself from him. He can't figure out what's going on, if he does that drags him into it and I don't need any more lives on my plate. Leliana was unavoidable, but I'll be damned if I bring any more of these good people into my messed up life. Especially since whoever these people were, were clearly able to get inside the camp unnoticed. Who knows what else they're capable of? _Like killing Father…_ My shoulders dropped at the thought, and chose instead to focus on packing my bag. I grabbed a water canteen and stationary along with a quill and ink. Placing them not so delicately in my bag I slung it onto the bed. Pulling my cloak back around me I made out for Leliana's tent thinking she just might have a job for me when I was out. I walked into her tent and she turned her head towards me as she leant against her desk.

"Good morning, Lady Protector." She greeted as I stepped into her tent and leant against her tent post. "How are you feeling?" She asked with a small smile. I nodded to her as I shot a grin in her direction.

"Never better. You?" I asked and saw her turn back to the map before her and waved me over.

"I will be better once I figure this out." She replied as I strode over to her and looked down at her map. On it I saw there were numerous little red pins in the map of Thedas. "I have had scouts scouring Fereldan and not one has found anything on the image we saw at the Temple of Sacred Ashes." Shrugging my shoulders I turned and leant against the table.

"I mean, Leli I know you're the best, but it wasn't a lot to go off of." I said as I crossed my arms over my chest. Looking around her room I noticed it was particularly messy for Leliana. She was usually very neat, neat was good. This however, was very unusual and that had me worried.

"I know. But someone has to know something, but so far nothing." She hissed as she stared down at the table. "How could the Maker let this happen to her? She was the best of us, Quinn." I sighed and looked down at the ground.

"I know Leli. I miss her too." She turned to me and I placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know I never asked you Leli, but are you alright? I know her death took a toll on you." I added noticing the faint lines of fatigue under her eyes. She looked to me with a smile and nodded,

"I…We have more pressing uses, maybe we can discuss this another time. I actually wished to speak with you about something else. A few months ago the Grey Wardens of Fereldan vanished. I sent word to those in Orlais, but they have also disappeared. Ordinarily, I wouldn't consider the idea that they're involved in this, but the timing is…curious." She stated as she stared down at the map before her. "The others have disregarded my suspicion, but I cannot ignore it. Two days ago my agents in the Hinterlands heard news of a Grey Warden by the name of Blackwall. If you have the opportunity I want you to locate him and convince him to join the Inquisition. I think we both know you're the best at that." She finished with a small smile until she saw the smirk on my lips. "Oh don't look so smug. Why else do you think I kept you around?" She asked with an unconvincing glare.

"I thought it was because of my smashing personality and good taste in shoes." I answered nonchalantly emitting a laugh from her.

"Oh yes there's certainly that." She quipped. My attention however, was dragged away from her towards a man who was standing by the Chantry trying to get the attention of some sisters as they walked by, but no one payed him any mind. Leliana noticed as well, looking to me shortly before nodding for me to go check it out. With my cloak fluttering around me, I walked towards the Chantry doors, the man looked to me and quickly walked up to me. I tilted my head and smiled at him. He was rather good looking guy. Really pretty eyes. _What is it with me and eyes?_

"Excuse me. I have a message for the Inquisition, but I'm having a hard time getting anyone to talk to me." He said and I lifted an eye brow and nodded,

"That's not hard to believe." I mumbled looking around at the bustling people. "Who are you soldier?" I asked and he stood a bit straighter.

"Cremisius Acclassi, with the Bull's Chargers Mercenary Company. We mostly work out of Orlais and Nevarra. We got word of some Tevinter mercenaries gathering out on the Storm Coast. My company Commander, Iron Bull, offers information free of charge." He said formally and I smiled at the man. I knew of these Chargers. They were good, but their leader was still a bit of an unknown.

"What should I know about your Commander?" I asked and the man smiled back.

"Iron Bull? He's one of those Qunari. The big guys with the horns?" He said and I stifled a laugh at his explanation of his Commander. Cremisius blushed a bit before straightening again. "He leads from the front, he pays well, and he's a lot smarter than the last bastard I worked for. Best of all he's professional. We accept certain contracts with whoever makes the first real offer. You're the first time he's gone out of his way to pick a side." He said, the last portion of his words standing out in my mind. Why would someone like this Iron Bull go out of his way for a so-called heretical group of people when he could take contracts from much wealthier people? I wanted to know more.

"What can your Bull's Chargers offer the Inquisition?" I asked and he crossed his arms over his chest looking proud.

"We're loyal, we're tough, and we don't break contracts. Ask around Val Royeaux, we've got references." I grinned at that these Bull's Chargers were sounding better and better by the minute.

"Why did your Commander send us this information?" I asked making sure I was being thorough so no one could question anything I knew about these people. I also wanted to know everything I could about this Iron Bull before we met him.

"Iron Bull wants to work for the Inquisition. He thinks you're doing good work." He said and I felt an eyebrow lift at that. We hadn't even traveled to Val Royeaux yet and word had already spread about us? Grinning I held my hand out to Cremisius and he took it.

"I look forward to meeting this Iron Bull." Cremisius smiled back and nodded,

"We're the best you'll find. Come to the Storm Coast and you can see us in action." I nodded and released his hand. I smiled at him and nodded as he walked off. I looked after him with a smile as his form retreated from my view. He was nice and not too bad to look at. I paused however when I felt eyes on the back of my neck and I turned to see Cullen staring at me from the staircase. A scout handing him papers as his eyes traveled from me to Cremisius as he walked past him and then back to me. I looked around thinking he might be looking to someone else, but when I looked back he'd already looked away. Leliana walked up to me with a curious look as she watched Cremisius walk past her.

"Cremisius Aclassi. Remember that Merc Company called the Bull's Chargers? We looked into them once, leaders a big Qunari?" I asked her with a smirk as I watched Mr. Aclassi walk off. Leliana nodded as she watched him too. "He's one of them. They want to help the Inquisition. All we have to do is meet up with them in the Storm Coast. I was thinking I would head down to the Hinterlands, find this Grey Warden of yours and then head straight to the Storm Coast. It's about a day and a half trip one way, but it's worth it." I told her as I leant against my back foot.

"…And you want to go there now?" She asked and I nodded, but thought back to the Herald and Val Royeaux.

"What do you think? Do you think the Herald will be alright?" I asked her and saw her look towards the Heralds cabin.

"Cassandra is reliable. She should be able to protect him and they sound very worth the travel so, yes, I think you should go. I shall also keep you posted on the Heralds progress." She said and I looked to Cullen who was walking towards us. "You however should speak with the Herald about this." I nodded and looked back to her when I caught Cullen walked towards us out of the corner of my eye. He looked back at Cremisius Aclassi who was now out of sight before he looked between us.

"Who was that?" He asked and I looked towards Leliana who spoke up.

"Cremisius Aclassi, he's a member of the Bull's Chargers a rather attractive member." Leli filled in and I laughed and shifted my weight.

"I'll say." I agreed and saw Cullen switch his posture uncomfortably as he cleared his throat. Shooting an amused look at Leliana I looked back at Cullen. "He wants the Inquisition to come and see the Chargers in action, and I am going to meet up with them in the Storm Coast. Once I do that, I'll recruit them and bring them back here." He looked in between us,

"You? Alone?" He asked incredulously. His eyes shifting between Leliana as if we'd both lost our minds. "And what of the Herald venturing to Val Royeaux?" He asked seriously making me stand a bit straighter.

"Cassandra is a skilled warrior. I'm sure she can handle one mission without me, plus she will have Solas and Varric with her. All of them together should be able to keep the Herald safe. We just need to take this opportunity. I would travel with Cremisius, but I have another stop along the way I need to make." I told him and he looked from me to Leliana.

"Did you approve of this?" He asked and she crossed her arms,

"I believe it is a good idea. We will be in constant connection about the Heralds mission and if anything goes wrong my scouts in Val Royeaux will be there to get the Herald out safely." She retorted with a look of confusion.

"And what of these Bull's Chargers? We don't know anything about them and with her going alone-." Cullen argued making me pinch the bridge of my nose in annoyance. "It could very possibly go wrong."

"You think it is a trap? This company is honorable from all I've heard about it and their intentions seem that they just wish to speak with us. Besides, the Lady Protector is one of the best fighters I have seen and even better at escaping. She will be fine." Leliana responded dismissively making me blush and shuffle my foot.

"Awe, Leli you're making me blush." I teased her. Cullen looked in between us again before his eyes settled on me.

"I don't care about that. It is still too dangerous for you to venture alone. The Inquisition has many enemies, people who'd want to see your head on a stake." He pointed out looking straight at me.

"Then I'll be careful. I'm good at staying hidden." I shot back at him with a challenging look. He returned the look as he crossed his arms.

"And what happens if you encounter a rift? You cannot close them as we've seen before." He pointed out again, faltering a bit possibly remembering when I tried to close the rift the first time. Clenching my jaw up at him, I shifted my weight as I thought of a perfect response.

"Then I'll try to close it and if I can't then I'll mark it on a map. Now, if we're done here I need to inform the Herald and his party of the new traveling arrangements." I responded flippantly to him and noticed his eyes form into a glare as I walked away towards the front gate tipping my head to Leliana as I passed. She nodded back as she went back into her tent. Jogging down the steps of Haven I walked out towards the stables and noticed them all packing up to leave. Walking over I exhaled quietly and smiled to them.

"Thedran. What are you doing? We are to leave in fifteen minutes." Cassandra greeted with a frown in my direction. I grinned at her,

"Well good morning to you too, Sunshine. There have been a change of plans though. I will not be traveling with you to Val Royeaux. Cremisius Aclassi has approached us from the Bull's Chargers Mercenary Company telling us that their leader the Iron Bull has sought us out. They are an asset that we cannot afford to lose. Therefore, I will be traveling to the Storm Coast while you travel to Val Royeaux." I announced and Cassandra looked a bit taken aback at my words.

"And what of the Herald? You are just going to leave him, unprotected?" She asked incredulously. I looked around at each of them in confusion.

"You, Varric and Solas should be able to protect him while I am taking care of business in the Storm Coast." I replied loudly so all of them could hear. I looked back to Cassandra as she stood in front of me attempting to look intimidating. "Look, I don't like you, but I trust that you are competent enough to not let anything happen to him." I muttered to her and saw her straighten and nod to me with a scowl still lingering on her face before she turned and started packing again. The Herald looked back towards Cassandra before looking to me with a concerned look.

"Is this…because of last night?" He asked, his eyes shrouded with confusion and some of his brown tresses. Lifting an eyebrow at what he was referring to I immediately shook my head.

"No. I just think this is the best way to cover ground. Split up, and get as many allies we can in the shortest amount of time. And you'll be safe. Cassandra, Solas and Varric will make sure of it. Just don't wander off alone, okay?" I asked and he nodded with a short smile.

"Alright. Good luck in the Storm Coast." He offered as he tried to straighten his hair. I shot him a quick smirk.

"Good luck in Val Royeaux." I responded as they saddled their horses. Varric looked to me as he rode by and stopped his horse.

"You gonna be okay on your own, Angel?" He asked as he looked down at me for once. I nodded and shot him a confident grin.

"Are you kidding? You know that's the best way to travel." I returned and watched as rode off behind the Herald with a grin. Solas was the last to pull out of the stables and as he silently rode past he dipped his head to me with a small smile. I returned it and watched from the stalls as they rode from Haven and to Val Royeaux. _Be safe._

"Lady Protector." Cullen's voice rang out in my ear and I looked over my shoulder at him as he approached me.

"Yes, Commander?" I asked as I turned to him.

"I have assigned soldiers to travel with you to the Storm Coast." He stated as he crossed his arms before me. I looked in between him and the training yard.

"Wait-what? No. I told you I was going alone!" I argued and crossed my arms mimicking his stance. A defiant look crossed his eyes as he looked down at me like I was a child.

"I don't know him, and I don't trust him. You are going to take the soldiers with you." He shot back and I sent him a cross look.

"No, I'm not." I ground out and saw the immovable look and instantly grew more annoyed. "Why?" I asked and he dropped his hands and gripped the pommel of his sword.

"Because you are an asset to the Inquisition. Because you were almost killed yesterday and there could be another attempt on your life. Because we don't know these people. Take your pick." He said and I glared at him. _Maker why was he so infuriating!_

"Or is this because I pissed you off last night and you're trying to back at me?" I asked angrily and he glared back at me.

"That is not it. My personal feelings have nothing to do with my decision. You need to be protected." He urged making me roll my eyes.

"Well if that's the case then why don't you just come along?" I asked sarcastically and saw the wheels turning in his head. Immediately I regretted the sarcastic suggestion.

"Fine. You either take the soldiers along or I go with you." He responded with a triumphant look in his eye. Slapping my forehead I blew out a annoyed huff of air.

"I was being sarcastic. You can't come. You have to train the soldiers. If you get killed the army is screwed and who else is going to keep Chancellor Rat-Face from turning the people against each other?" I reasoned, but he wasn't having any of it.

"Lieutenant Rylen can take up my place until we return. I have prepped him for such. As for the part about getting killed, I am more than capable of keeping myself alive. Also, Sister Leliana and Lady Montiliyet can keep the peace, I'm sure." He shot back at me, his voice stony and adamant. With a huff I kicked a rock by my foot. If he came along and there was an attack on me and he got hurt because of it…well that just wouldn't be good. Or even worse if he somehow figured out about what was going on with me or if he died. I had to take the soldiers, at least them I could get away from. I'm sure if I escaped them they'd return to Haven. I'm nearly positive if I tried to escape from him, he'd try and track me or be waiting for me in the Storm Coast as stubborn as this brute is.

"How many soldiers?" I asked as I looked up at him from the rock. He held up three fingers with a smirk that I knew I'd come to despise. The way that irritably sexy scar lifted when he did it-ugh.

"Three of my best trained soldiers, both in tracking and fighting." He enunciated making my eyes bug out. _Could he read minds?_

"THREE? That's a bit excessive don't you think?" I asked trying to get him to lower the number, but instead he held up another finger. "What!?"

"You argued with me so it became four." I threw up my hands in anger.

"You can't be serious!" I just shy of yelled at him, but saw his grin widen as he held his thumb up.

"Oh, I'm very serious." He said through a laugh. Crossing my arms over my chest I glared at the blonde man before me.

"I'd take him along, ma'am. He looks like a good fighter to me." I shot Cremisius an angry look not realizing he was still there.

"Don't take his side!" I admonished and fought not to slap the smug look off of Cullen's face that he tried to hide. Grumbling under my breath, my hands worked at the leather of my armor.

"UGH! Fine. You can come along. Just don't get in my way and don't you dare get yourself killed." I huffed and moved past him. Maker give me strength not to kill him myself along the trip. He is so infuriating! Thinking I can't keep myself safe! Ugh, the gall of that guy! I silently fumed as strode quickly up the stairs to my bag in my cabin and looked to his cloak that was still hanging up next to the fire place. My anger diminished within seconds as I grabbed it and folded it. Looking around my room I made sure to double check the lock on my chest. I then grabbed the bow and quiver off my bed and slung it over my shoulder. _Always good to have a bow._ I walked out the door and shut it behind me before making for the stables. I made it to the front of Haven and looked to the Commander who was already packing his horse. Walking to the stall beside his horse I started packing away my things into Belle's satchels and looked to the cloak before pulling it open and lightly plopping it on his shoulders.

"Thanks for, you know..." I saw a shine in his eye as he turned to me with a light blush. "Letting me borrow it." I finished awkwardly wondering why he was looking at me like that. He seemed to noticed and immediately straightened both himself and his fluffy mantle.

"You're welcome." He responded trying to mask the awkwardness in his tone, but failed miserably. I turned away and quickly started to pack again trying to avoid his gaze. _This was going to be a long trip._

* * *

To the Hinterlands first, then the Storm Coast. The ride was long just as I thought it would be, but not because of the company. Mostly because of the miserable weather and the fact that after a couple of hours I could feel myself starting to fall asleep. I gripped the reins hard and trained my eyes ahead on the road. To keep myself awake I ran through everything I knew about this Iron Bull again and again in my head, anything to keep me from sleeping. I pulled my head up as it sagged again the quiet patter of the rain on the ground lulling my eyes shut. Lack of sleep was starting to ebb at my mind.

"Lady Protector?" A voice asked and I jerked my eyes open. Twisting my head towards Cullen I stared at him.

"Yes, what is it?" I asked a bit groggily and he looked down at the reins of his horse before looking back up at me.

"Did you not sleep last night?" He asked me gently and I felt a chill run down my spine and my cheeks heat up. He'd seen me falling asleep. I looked down at Belle and felt my hands patting her mane before I actually noticed I was doing it.

"I-yes of course. Why?" I asked and he gave me an odd look.

"You seemed to be falling asleep and after last night I could understand if you couldn't sleep." He said, his golden eyes searching mine, a flicker of worry resonating in those beautiful orbs. I turned away from him looking straight ahead of us. Trying to deflect his words I flicked my eyes at him for a moment.

"Worried about me, Commander?" I asked aloofly and he smiled defiantly even though his cheeks started to burn a bit.

"Just making sure our Lady Protector isn't going to pass out from exhaustion." He reassured with an equally aloof tone and I shook my head a small laugh slipping through my lips.

"The day I pass out from exhaustion, Commander, will be the day you know something is very wrong." I shot back wishing he'd just stop talking.

"I hope that day doesn't come." He said with a serious tone making a chill shoot down my spine. I was still angry at him for last night. He had called me out, the only one actually and it had affected me and I hated that it did. I hated that he had influence over my feelings. I was also pissed at myself for egging him on like that. And now him being here when all I really wanted was to travel somewhat alone. It only made it worse. Hours passed and everyone was thankfully silent except for the horses beneath us as we traveled through the heavily wooded area of Fereldan. There wasn't much strategical advantages to ride in such thick forests, but it kept the rain off of us and that was good enough for me for the moment. My eyes lulled shut and I thought about the Herald. Hoping he was having safe travels as well. My eyes cracked open again when just ahead of me I heard Cullen mumble something to himself and upon thinking of him, my mind wandered to last night. The lake. He looked as terrified as I was. I felt the air in my lungs depleted. I felt a surge of fear surge through me and my hand sparked up sending fire through my veins resonating from my palm. I stared down at my hand before pulling it out of sight from Cullen's eyes as they fell on the now flashing mark. "Are you alright?" I nodded and hid the marked hand from him. His whiskey eyes shrouded slightly in the shadows of the trees, but I could feel the heat of them on me. "Is that what you were speaking with Solas about?" He asked, but this time I looked to him with confusion of his intrigue plain on my face.

"He was trying to help me figure out what triggers my mark. What enables me to make a portal like I did at the lake…and when I saved you." I explained shortly as we bobbed along down the road.

"Do you know what triggers it?" He asked his voice full of interest. I chewed on my answer for a minute thinking about whether or not I should tell him.

"Not quite." I replied vaguely and he pulled his horse forward a bit to look at me a little more directly.

"What do you think it is?" He asked pressing it more and I felt like a tightness rise in my chest, drowning under the ice flashing behind my eyelids as I blinked. The thought of it making my breath catch in my throat.

"I'm…not sure. Solas believes I should be able to control it if I can duplicate the emotions I felt when it last worked." I said accidentally allowing the nervousness invade into my tone. He grimaced at me and rubbed the back of his neck.

"And it's worked?" He asked and I snorted with laughter.

"I'm trying not to think about those events so no." I said and glared down at the mark. He smiled over at me as he pulled my attention back to him.

"Perhaps I could help in some way?" He asked and I lifted my eyes to him and noticed his blush. "I-I was there both times that you've used your mark…I didn't know if I could help in some way." Looking him over I felt the tightness in my chest return, but different this time. Smiling at his proposition a strange sensation fluttering in my gut accompanied the tightness in my chest making me feel like very strange. Despite how angry I wanted to be at him he seemed to genuinely care.

"I…Thank you, Commander, but I am sure you have other good uses." I replied flirtatiously as I regained my composure, and looked back ahead of us avoiding his eyes. He seemed so sincere. He wanted to help me and he barely knew anything about me. What was his angle? … _Maybe he's just nice._ My mind defiantly mused but, I dismissed the thought. We traveled for what felt like days after Cullen and I stopped talking. And for the rest of the ride everything was keeping pretty quiet until we showed up in the Hinterlands. Riding through to the Crossroads, we nodded to the Inquisition soldiers as they saluted us. My eyes fell on a few of them, these good people who are sacrificing their lives for a cause they probably didn't understand. Turning their backs on the Chantry and being proclaimed pawns in a heretical movement. Do they believe in the Herald that much? Do they believe in me that much? The Inquisition? Maker's Breath, poor Trevelyan he has to live up to each of their expectations. That's a lot on one person. I swung off the horse and pulled the reins along with me as we walked up to Corporal Vale.

"Commander! My Lady Protector! Sister Leliana sent word you'd be by. We have information on where this Grey Warden was last seen. I'll mark it on your map." He said as he took the map from me and placed an X on a patch of land next to Lake Luthias. He handed it back to me with a salute and we turned away. Cullen looked at the map over my shoulder.

"This is the stop you were talking about?" He asked next to me as I rolled the map up and hopped back up on the horse. "Who is it that we are looking for anyway?" He asked as he mounted his horse too.

"His name is Blackwall. Leliana is worried about the Grey Wardens disappearing all over Thedas. She thinks that this Blackwall will be able to inform her of what has happened to them." I clarified as we rode forward to the closest camp next to Lake Luthias. A couple hills later we made it to the lake. But I paused and my hand shot out as I heard fighting ahead. My hand thumped against Cullen's breastplate and I saw him stare down at me in confusion. I removed my hand before shooting him a smile. "I hear fighting just up the hill." I explained and watched as Cullen grabbed his sword as we moved up the hill quickly, looking for a fight, but stopped when instead we saw men training. I let go of my daggers and heard Cullen sheath his sword as he walked with me. "Blackwall. Warden Blackwall?" I called out and saw him turn to me in surprise. He looked me up and down before switching his eyes to Cullen as he approached us. The man had a neck length thick black beard with piercing eyes and heavy black eye brows with shoulder length silky brown hair to match the beard. A mountain man if I've ever seen one. I pulled on a charming smile as he approached.

"You're not- How do you know my name? Who sent-" I heard the whistle of an arrow, just as he held a shield up in front of my body. My eyes were wide as I looked to the tip of the arrow just piercing the shield. Blackwall looked to me under the shield and nodded. "That's it. Help or get out. We're dealing with these idiots. Conscripts here they come!" I smirked at him and slid my daggers from their loops and looked to the men who were approaching. Four of them, hardly a challenge. I ran forth with the recruits and sliced through a man and then drove my dagger through his chest and watched as he fell off my blood slicked blade. Looking ahead I saw the man who had fired the arrow. I was about to rush at him with my daggers, but a recruit jumped in and stabbed the archer through the stomach. Raising a brow I looked around and nodded. _Well alright._ I pocketed my blades again and looked to Blackwall as he walked past me and drove his blade into the ground. Crouching next to a dead attacker he shook his head a couple of time.

"Sorry Bastards." He muttered as he looked through their pockets before standing abruptly and walking towards his men who were in a line waiting for him. "Good work, conscripts, this shouldn't've happened. They could've- well, thieves are made, not born. Take back what they stole. Go back to your families. You saved yourselves." He announced and they departed. Blackwall looked to me and Cullen, who had just appeared at my side. "You're no farmer. Why do you know my name? Who are you?" He questioned as he looked in between us. _That's a loaded question._

"We are here investigating the disappearance of the Grey Wardens for the Inquisition. We are seeing if the Wardens have anything to do with the murder of the Divine." I replied and saw the look of confusion cross his face.

"Makers Balls, the Wardens and the Divine? They can't- no. You're asking so you don't really know." He replied as he paced the ground. "First off, I didn't even know they disappeared. But, we do that, right? No more Blight, jobs done, wardens are the first thing forgotten. But, the one thing I'll tell you: No Warden killed the Divine. Our purpose isn't political." He added as he crossed his arms over his broad chest. I looked over at Cullen for a moment, but saw him keeping a constant watch of this Blackwall.

"Where are the rest of you?" I asked and saw him shake his head.

"I haven't seen any Wardens for months. I travel alone, recruiting. Not much interest since the Archdemon is a decade dead, and no need to conscript since there's no Blight coming. Treaties give Wardens the right to take what we need. Who we need. These idiots forced this fight, so I "conscripted" their victims." I smirked at that. _Well, good for him._ Looking down at my gloves I wiped off the blood onto my pants. "They had to do what I said so I told them to stand. Next time they won't need me. Grey Wardens can inspire. Make you better than you think you are."

"Why haven't you gone missing with the rest of them?"

"Well maybe I was going to. Or maybe there is a new directive that got lost or something. My job was to recruit on my own. Planned to stay that way for months. Years." He stated and I felt myself inwardly sigh. Time to open my charming bag of tricks. Looking to Cullen I nodded for us to walk. I strut on by, subtly swaying my hips as I did and sent his a catlike grin.

"Thank you, Warden Blackwall. But, where does that leave us?" I purred as I strut on by. Cullen's eyes were burning on the side of my face, but he kept silent. _Three, two, one…_

"Inquisition! Agent, did you say? Hold a moment." He called out and I fought to control the smirk that spread across my lips. I turned my head to him and shifted my weight as he approached us again. "The Divine is dead and the sky torn open. Events like these, thinking we're absent is almost as bad as thinking we're involved." I nodded as I turned to him fully, my hand wresting on my hip. "If you're trying to put things right, maybe you need a Warden, maybe you need me." He proclaimed as he looked straight at me. I smiled at him before giving a brief look to Cullen.

"Warden Blackwall, the Inquisition accepts your offer." I stated as I held out my hand for him to shake. He took it as he looked between Cullen and I.

"Good to hear. We both need to know what's going on, and perhaps I've been keeping to myself for too long. This Warden walks with the Inquisition." He released my hand shooting me a quick smile before looking back at his home that he was leaving. "Look, I know you already have a traveling companion, but do you mind another? I'm good with a sword." He said and I hid my grimace. _Couldn't he just head back to Haven?_

"Your sword would be greatly appreciated, Warden Blackwall." Cullen spoke up next to me and I inwardly cursed him for bringing someone else along. The Warden looked to the Commander and smiled broadly before nodding and we headed off.


	9. Chapter 9

Hey there everyone! This Chapter is a bit longer than usual. Sorry about that, I just had so much to fit in! Also, thank you to everyone who has favorited, followed, and or reviewed my story! I love you all! Soooo, onto the next Chapter! Enjoy!

* * *

"What is it?" Cullen asked, noticing my creased brow. We had been traveling for close to an hour and we hadn't seen anyone. Not a single enemy of any form and it only made me feel more uneasy.

"I'm just surprised we haven't come across any Mages or Templars or bandits or bears or something." I replied and looked to him ignoring the paleness of his face. "Maybe you _are_ good luck, Commander." I commented and saw a flicker of a smile cross his lips before he turned serious again. He looked around as we continued riding North when suddenly an ice shard flew past my face scraping across my cheek. I jerked back and when another ice shard flew out just in front of Belle she stood on her hind legs and threw me from her back and ran off in fright. I groaned upon hitting the ground and heard Cullen shout as he leapt from his horse and hit the ground next to me. I rolled onto my stomach and stilled when I saw how many mages were running at us. I felt Cullen grab my arm and pull me to my feet.

"Apostates." Cullen growled as he pulled up his shield and I saw Warden Blackwall step forward.

"We are not Templars!" The Warden yelled and Cullen stiffened next to me. I slid in front of him with my blades ready remembering all too well that these bastards don't give a damn who you are.

"They don't care." I hissed, but flinched when I noticed a fireball blazing towards me. Cullen's shield suddenly came in front of me and the blast deflected harmlessly as Cullen wrenched me behind him.

"Stay behind me!" He commanded as he looked to Warden Blackwall who was already closing in next to me. Cullen's muscles were as tight as the glare on his face as he snarled at the approaching mages. He was a Templar which means that this was probably something he knew all too well. But still, something about the way he looked bothered me. The mages sent another barrage of attacks when Cullen yelled, "Protect the Lady Protector!" I nearly choked at the irony of the statement. Although it was sweet he wanted to protect me, there were too many mages for me not to fight. I moved in between them, the three of us standing in a line as the Mages got closer.

"Don't worry about me! Keep yourselves alive!" I yelled as I ran forward towards and sliced my daggers through the air towards a mage whose staff was sending ice towards my companions. His face in a tight snarl as he suddenly turned to me and blocked, but he wasn't fast enough. I drove my daggers through his chest, his blood splashing me from the impact of my blade. Suddenly, just over the Mage's shoulder a fireball sung towards me and the now dead Mage still attached to my blades. I ducked behind the man I'd just killed and I ran while holding the man up with my daggers as a body shield and threw him into the female mage. The woman fell to the ground and swiped at my feet with her staff. I jumped over it and kicked her in the face, faintly hearing something crack over the roar of battle. Looking over my shoulder I saw Cullen and Blackwall about 10 feet from each other trying their best to fend off the multiple mages that attacked.

I ran back to them to regroup when suddenly ice shot out from nowhere and I was jerked back by my wrist. I hit a tree hard behind me and groaned as I looked up and felt the ice expand around my wrist and freeze into the tree. I jerked against it and ground my teeth together when I realized I was stuck. I brought my dagger up and tried to break the ice, but it wasn't breaking fast enough. I yanked my wrist forward trying to break it tree from the damned tree when a bolt of lightning sparked towards me. I tried to dodge it, but I couldn't move out of the way quickly enough. The armor blocked most of it, but not all as the lightning singed my hip. I ignored it as I watched a mage run at me with a bladed end of a staff pointed towards me. The male mage drove it towards my midsection and I jumped up forcing all my weight up to just barely miss the attack. My wrist twisted painfully as I did, but I tried to ignore that too. Balancing one foot on the staff that was now embedded into the tree behind me, I kicked my foot out and my boot connected with the mage's chin. He stumbled backwards pulling the staff with him. He growled angrily and his staff lit up with lightning. Looking up at my blade I then looked at the mage and flung my blade in his direction. He fell to the ground writhing in pain as I grabbed the dagger from my other hand and tried to break the ice again as the Mage started to get up. Growling in irritation I stabbed it a bit harder not caring if I hit my wrist. I just needed to break the ice. My encased hand flashed green as I felt fear course through me. The mage held his staff up and the lightning crackled at me. My eyes widened as I stabbed at the ice harder feeling the tip if the blade scrape against my skin.

"Shit." I cried and wrestled and stabbed at the ice, my wrist just starting to come out of the ice that shackled me to the tree. Suddenly just as he was about to fire the lightning at me a blade knocked the staff upwards and the lightning exploded the tree into flames just above me. My eyes blew wide with shock as I looked from the fiery leaves that fell from the tree above me to Cullen who stabbed the Mage in the chest. His hair was disheveled as he turned to me and his eyes were ablaze. I looked up at my wrist and saw the blood running down the sleeves of my coat and seeping from the cracks in the ice. In a moments' notice Cullen's hands worked at the ice on my wrist. His face was stuck in a snarl as he wrenched the ice off of my wrist. I sagged a bit at the restraint gone, but I had little time to rest as Cullen grabbed my arm and yanked me a little roughly forward.

"Come on! We need to retreat!" He yelled as he pulled me to his horse and lifted me onto its back. Blackwall leapt onto his horse as Cullen placed his foot in the stirrups. I grabbed his hand, but he jolted just as he was about to hop on the back. An ice shard piercing through his left shoulder.

"CULLEN!" I gasped loudly as my hands flew to his shoulder. His face contorted in pain and he grabbed at the ice shard penetrating through his skin in between his armor. I grabbed him, my hand flaring up against his armor as I did. I pulled him onto the horse, his wound bleeding profusely as the horse neighed in urgency. With Blackwall already in front, I whipped the reins and the horse jolted us forward with great speed and power. Cullen's arms wrapped around my waist as bolts of lightning and fire shot past us. The horse's hooves pounded against the earth below fiercely as we shot through the remainder of the Hinterlands. _Escaped. Barely._ I hoped that Belle was somewhere in front of us, but my hopes were dying as we kept riding and she was nowhere to be found. My wrist was slick with blood from my attempts at freeing myself and I could feel the leather twisting around my burned side. Behind me Cullen grunted and I noticed his left hand was coming a bit loose around my waist. I grabbed it with my own and held it in place on my waist. "Hang on, Cullen." I murmured realizing he must be losing a lot of blood. We kept on riding until I was sure we were away from those damned Mages and I looked to Warden Blackwall as Cullen slumped a bit behind me. I pulled Cullen's horse next to his and nodded. "He's badly wounded, he can't keep riding like this." I explained eliciting a grunt of protest from Cullen, but Blackwall spoke up anyway.

"Follow me. I know these woods, there's a good camping ground just up that hill." He replied, but Cullen pulled his head up at us both.

"I will be fine. We must continue on." He argued. We only had a few hours of daylight left to travel, and I wasn't going to risk his life on a few extra miles.

"We're stopping and you aren't going to argue with me." I shot back at Cullen and nodded to Blackwall. "Lead the way, please." Blackwall nodded and pulled his horse ahead and through the woods. We were lead up a hill and on that hill was a clearing. It was a good area, a lot of light, but still good coverage. We were also on a hill so we had the advantage in a fight. I hopped off and guided the horse to a nearby tree and hopped off. Cullen jumped off as well albeit looking pained and ungraceful. I held onto him and saw Blackwall rushing over to help. He grabbed Cullen's opposite side and helped me pull him over to a tree. We sat him down as gently as possible and Cullen hissed as we leant him against his right shoulder. I looked down at Cullen and walked back to his bags.

"What are you looking for?" Blackwall asked as I pulled a med kit from his bags and ran back shaking the box at Blackwall as I did. I knelt down in front of Cullen and looked at his shoulder and nodded to Blackwall as he lightly touched the ice shard. Upon his touch Cullen's jaw clenched at the pain and I grabbed two thin cloth towels from the big box. "I'm going to pull this out, mate." Blackwall said and I looked to Cullen with a smile.

"Hey, remember when I called you lucky?" I asked and saw him crack his eyes open. "I…think that was a bit premature." I said and heard him laugh as Blackwall yanked the shard from his shoulder. His laughter dissolved into a small cry of pain before he bit his lip and balled his fist. "Sorry, I wanted to take your mind off of it." I whispered as I placed the two towels over the entrance and exit wounds. "Oh, and I'm going to need to take the armor off you. I can't get to the wound with it on." I said and he looked up at me, and for a moment he looked more awkward than he ever had before. A moment later his fingers numbly started working at the buckles of his armor as I pulled off his fluffy cloak and cuirass. After a moment all he was left in was his pants and leg armor and his ripped white long sleeved linen shirt. Not wanting to make him feel anymore awkward I grabbed my blade and gently cut the shirt a bit more in order to reach the wounds easily.

"You know, I liked this shirt." He joked in a low voice and I heard Blackwall laugh behind me as Cullen cracked a smile at his own joke. Reaching into my pocket I grabbed a healing potion and handed it to him with a smile.

"Drink this. It'll help." I said and watched as he uncorked the bottle and downed the red liquid. I cleaned the wounds with the alcohol I'd found and started the suture on the back wound. The ice had gone all the way through, but luckily for him it'd missed bone and it wasn't very large so any permanent muscle damage would be minimal. I finished the back wound and placed a clean bandage over it before moving to the front. He looked up at me as I placed his fluffy cloak behind him and leant him back against it. I started the suture on the front and he paused.

"So you've sown wounds before?" He asked and I grinned,

"Once when I was drunk." I joked and saw the slight loss of color in his cheeks. Laughing as I moved the curved needle up and down through his skin he groaned.

"You're not serious, I hope." He shot back as he looked over at his shoulder, his eyes staying locked with it as my hands worked.

"Oh, I'm completely serious." I stated with a cocky grin, copying his words from earlier. He let out a snort of laughter, but said nothing in response. Concentrating on the suture I noticed everything about him up close. The muscle definition in his shoulder, the thick cord of his neck, his pulse beating slowly as I could feel a faint beat moving from his heart to my hand laid gently over the wound. He was also very warm, not in an unpleasant way, but unusual and nice. Blackwall had gone for a perimeter check to make sure it was safe to stay here for the night. I smiled as I finished and examined my handiwork.

"That's a pretty impressive job for someone who's only done it once." He pointed out as he leant against the tree a bit more grunting as he relaxed his pained shoulder.

"And drunk." I added and he nodded with a smile. "What can I say? I pick things up quick." I murmured, but lost track of thought when he touched my cheek gently.

"You're bleeding. You need to get it cleaned." He said, but I removed his hand equally as gentle.

"It's fine, just a little scratch." I said as my own hand grazed it. I'd completely forgotten about it to be truthful. He caught my forearm and looked at my wrist which was still bleeding, but much, much slower.

"At least let me help you with this." He urged and I sighed as I shirked my armored jacket off and peeled away the cuffs gently. My skin burned as I pulled the leather away. The crusted blood cracking and breaking off as I poured alcohol over the wound. Hissing quietly I saw Cullen grab a towel and placed it over my wrist as he moved forward gingerly. His eyes seemed distant, however, as he cleaned out the slashes on my wrist.

"Are you alright?" I asked and felt him jump as if he'd forgotten I was there for a moment before his eyes looked to mine. He looked right back down at my wrist and pulled the towel away inspecting the wound before grabbing the bandages. "Was it the Mage's?" I asked and saw his whole body tense up.

"Am I that easy to read?" He asked without looking at me. I tilted my head to him, but he never once looked up. He looked so ashamed at the moment and I couldn't exactly figure out why.

"Just a guess, actually." I replied and saw his shoulders shake indicating some sort of laugh of sorts. "Mage's and Templars have been attacking people like that all over the place in the Hinterlands. They don't care whether or not people were Templars or Mages when they attacked, they just did." I whispered and used my other hand to lift his chin up so I could look at him in the eyes. "So if you're thinking we got attacked because of you or what you used to be…you can think again." I explained and saw his eyes light up a bit at my words before he wrapped the bandage again and used the adhesive side to stick it to itself. I smiled at him as I stood and walked over to his pack and brought the tent over and started to set it up next to him.

"I can do that. I just-" I looked over at him as he tried to push himself up and I pushed him back down attempting to be gentle. He grunted as he leant back against the tree and pursed his lips at me. "Lady Protector I am not an invalid. It is a wound, I can still function and set up my own tent." I chuckled and shook my head.

"Can't you just let me do something nice for you?" I retorted trying to keep the laughter out of my voice, but failed. He leant his head against the bark of the tree as I continued to pitch the tent.

"And what am I to do? Sit here and watch while you set up camp as well?" He asked irritably. I knew he was upset, but I didn't want him hurting himself even more.

"Am I not pleasing to look at, Commander?" I shot back with a wink and saw him flush. He spluttered for a moment as if very confused as to what to say next, but to be honest I didn't expect an answer back.

"I-That is not the point. I came along on this mission to help you, not be a burden." He replied as I tugged the last rope in place and sat back on my knees. Just over his shoulder I saw Blackwall reentering the camp with a sharp nod in my direction to indicate it was all clear. I touched Cullen's hand that was lying balled up on the ground. He looked ashamed and angry at himself and the situation. He looked from his hand and mine to my face.

"Cullen. You are not a burden, if you hadn't been there I might've died. It's the least I can do for the person who saved my life." I replied softly and watched as he seemed to relax in the smallest of ways. The fire in his eyes seemed to lessen, his body losing its stiffness slightly and his hand was no longer in a tight ball. "I know it's killing you, but could you just let someone take care of you for once?" I asked and saw something flash in his tired eyes, but it was too quick to recognize. He didn't smile, but I knew he was grateful as I looked him over. He'd lost a lot of blood, he should be sleeping. I moved aside and spread the bed roll out inside the medium sized tent and grabbed the blanket in the set and placed it aside for him. "Now. Get some sleep." I said and his eyes followed mine defiantly.

"I don't need to sleep. I need to help with setting up camp." He argued as he pouted like a child.

"Well we've already established that isn't happening. You've lost a lot of blood, and you need to rest." I replied stonily pulling on my own rendition of his 'Commander' tone and saw him about to retort when I raised my hand towards him. "As The Herald's Protector I command you to get some sleep." I ordered and saw a quick grin tug at his lips before it disappeared into a thin line of his pale pink lips.

"I wasn't aware you had the authority to order me around." He replied as he shot me a rather haughty look. _I probably didn't have that kind of authority...I mean he is the Commander…_ I glared back at him and folded my arms. _Okay, switch tactics._

"Cullen Rutherford you get in that tent and you go to sleep or so help me I will tell every single woman in Haven _and Jim_ that you saved orphans from a burning house and their mabari pups." I shot back with a wide smirk knowing that I'd won this one. His eyes widened and he spluttered again.

"You wouldn't." He grumbled at me and I smirked and checked my nails.

"That depends on you." I replied and saw him think it over for a moment before he moved into the tent grumbling all the way. I grinned and stood as he gingerly shifted into his bed and closed the tent flap. Looking over my shoulder I saw Blackwall had started a fire and was cooking something on the spit. I smiled and went over to it and held my hands out to warm them and noticed the blood that caked them. _Cullen's blood and mine._ I stared at them and felt a chill run through my body.

"There's a stream just down the hill…if you want to wash that off." Blackwall said and I nodded and smiled briefly to my bearded companion and strode down the hill silently to glistening stream. The sun was finally setting, the evening light making the small stream glisten pink and orange. I dipped my hands into the stream and scrubbed the blood from my hands. Minding my bandages, I watched the blood wash off down the stream. A sense of déjà vu overcoming me.

" _You nearly got yourself killed, Tayen." I huffed as I washed my hands off in the sink. He chuckled at me and grabbed my hand gently in the sink. His stormy blue eyes smiling down at me as he moved to my left side._

" _You worry too much, Quinn. I just was having a bit of fun." He replied as his other hand gingerly touched my cheek. My heart beat quickly as anger pulsed through my veins. He was an excellent fighter, but because he deviated he got hurt and could've gotten himself killed._

" _I think I worry the proper amount! We had a plan! A plan Tayen and now I'm cleaning your blood off my hands!" I growled and kept on scrubbing my arms. The blood coming off in flakes as the water ran red. Weaving between my fingers and over my silver engagement band he gave just a month ago._

" _Well someone is being dramatic. It wasn't even that bad-"_

" _An arrow through your thigh, Tayen! You're lucky it didn't hit an artery!" I yelled and felt him tense next to me. "Why didn't you just follow the plan? Does this mean nothing to you?" I asked angrily as I held my hand up to him to show him the engagement band. "Did you even think how your death would affect me when you 'had some fun'?" I questioned as my head dipped in sadness. His hand brushed over my back and I felt his fingers comb through my long tresses. He was silent as if mulling over my words as I turned away from him and started cleaning the blood off my hands again._

" _I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." He whispered and turned me to him. His hand slipped past my waist and turned the faucet off as he looked down at me. His hand lightly brushed the skin on my neck as his blue eyes sparkled in the candlelight. Abruptly a broad, cheeky smile spread across his lips. "I've never seen you so worried about me." He admitted with an equally cheeky tone. I punched him in his arm in anger, but felt a smile of my own spread across my lips. "I kind of like it." He added as he pulled me into a hug. I hugged him back, smiling as he kissed my temple._

" _I love you. Of course I worry." I replied as I ducked my head into his neck. "Just promise me that you'll stick to the plan for now on?" I pleaded as I looked up at his face and he smiled down at me. His black hair flopping against his forehead._

" _For you, anything." He replied and brought his lips to my nose in a sweet kiss. I smiled and held his face in place as I brought my lips to his. His hands wrapped around my waist and held me tight as his lips molded to mine. He pulled his lips away, his forehead leaning against mine. "Oh, and I love you too, Quinn." He whispered back making my heart flutter in my chest-_

"Lady Protector!" Blackwall yelled from the top of the hill making me jump. A tear fell down my cheek and I quickly wiped it away as I spun to see Blackwall walking down the hill. "Are you alright, my lady?" He asked and I stood up looking down at my now scrubbed, clean hands.

"Yes. Yes, I apologize Warden Blackwall." I called out as I headed back up the hill. He was standing in the opening as I walked into the camp next to him.

"You were down there for a long time. Was something wrong?" He asked, his brown eyes following me as I strode past him. He looked haggard and tired. Possibly the fight from today.

"No, nothing is wrong. I was just thinking, that's all." I replied and saw him nod, but his eyes were squinting at me in disbelief. I looked around the camp, Cullen still in his tent, the fire blazing with something that smelled somewhat like goat meat. The scent making my mouth water as I got closer.

"There's some goat stew in the pot. I was waiting for you, thought it rude to eat before a lady." I smiled at the thoughtfulness of his actions and saw two bowls sitting out with spoons. He moved around the fire and dished out two bowls and handed me one of them. I looked down at it and then back at Cullen's tent. I wanted to check on him just to make sure the sutures were still intact or- "I checked on him just before I checked on you. He's out for the night and his wounds look fine." He spoke up silencing my thoughts. Looking through the fire I watched as he took a bite of food and I lifted the spoon to my lips and slurped the hot stew. The saltiness of the meat and the delicious tang of the stew warmed my insides as I watched the fire. "So…where did you learn to dress wounds like that?" He asked from across the fire.

"My family was very wealthy. We had a healer who lived with us and I saw her do a couple sutures." I replied vaguely and he snorted with laughter as he pushed the spoon around in his bowl.

"Those are pretty impressive sutures for just watching your healer do it a couple times." He shot back as he continued to eat his stew. My eyes drifted up to his across the flames as a smirk pulled at my lips. _Why was he fishing?_

"Is this how you normally get to know people or am I just special?" I asked with a coy smirk as I brought the spoonful of stew to my lips. His lips dipped into a thin line at my question, nearly disappearing under his thick beard. His hands brought stew up to his lips, but his eyes never wavered from mine.

"I apologize, My Lady. I just wanted to know more about you. So far the things I know about you are limited to your fighting ability." He replied as he looked down into the fire and played with a burning stick. I watched the stick cautiously as Blackwall looked towards the woods, his eyes distant as he watched the shadows.

"It's really nothing personal, Blackwall. I just don't really give out information to people I just met." I responded as I watched him stoke the fire. He smiled up at me and it reached his eyes.

"I did not take it personally, My Lady. I just want to know that I can trust you. There are very few who I can trust, and that list has only been shrinking." He proclaimed. He looked like the type of man that didn't trust easily. The way he looked at me with such guarded caution was enough to realize that. "The thing is, is that I think you are the same way." He added, his brown eyes flicking to the bowl in my hand. "I noticed you let me eat the stew first, you answer every question vaguely, and when you can't avoid a question you turn it on the other person. Always make another person talk more, share more." He set the bowl down on the ground and ran a hand along his beard. Obviously, he knew my game, but I also knew his. He just wants to know he can trust someone, and there is nothing wrong with that. So I'll give him what he wants.

"You're right. Look, you might not know my favorite color, but know that I'll have your back in a fight if you have mine." I replied with a small smile in his direction.

"That's good to hear." He replied simply as he crossed his arms over his chest. I looked back into the fire and yawned loudly. Sleep was finally catching up to me and I couldn't ignore it this time. Blackwall yawned as well and stood. "If you want, My lady you may take my tent." Blackwall continued as he looked back at his fully assembled tent. Shaking my head I stood as well and looked back towards Cullen's tent.

"Thank you for the offer, but I'd rather just sleep out here." I decided as I walked towards the tree next to Cullen's tent and looked over my shoulder at Blackwall who was walking towards his tent.

"If you're sure…" He said and walked back towards his tent. Good night." He threw over his shoulder as he disappeared into his tent. Sliding down the tree behind me I looked up at the night sky and smiled. I always liked sleeping under the stars, it felt more peaceful. I pulled my cloak around me, I looked briefly at Cullen's tent and I hoped he was sleeping well. Part of me wanted to go check on him, but I also didn't want to wake him. The potion should be helping some, but I still worried about him. The world around me was quiet, but not in a suspicious way. More of a calming and serene way. I laid awake for a few more minutes watching the sky before my eye lids drooped closed completely as the forest lulled me to sleep.

* * *

" _You failed your mission." He stated as he walked around his desk and crossed his arms. "I thought I trained you better than this." I felt a pang in my heart, the disappointment and anger in my Father's tone only making me feel worse. What mission had I failed? I didn't understand. I hardly ever fail missions. I turned to Tayen, but he was gone. The room was gone, the ground scorched and the giant, green Breach was high in the sky. Demons, too many demons. Their faces malicious and gruesome, their gnarled teeth and glowing yellow eyes watching me as they strode over bodies. Behind them a looming black figure with eyes as red as blood. My eyes drew back to my Father who was standing in the middle of it._

" _I didn't fail…Father I didn't-" His hand abruptly came into view and slapped me in the face. I fell to the ground and held my face gingerly as I looked up, but felt a scream catch in my throat when I saw Leliana's body lying in front of me. I scuttled over to her body and pressed my fingers to her neck to check for a pulse. But found nothing. A strangled cry left my lips as I shook her. "Leli! Leli wake up!" I whimpered, but no response. I felt tears prick my eyes as my Father behind me scoffed._

" _I told you getting close to people makes you weak. This is the price you pay for not listening to me." He hissed as he took a step forward and kicked a body by his foot. I turned to him and stared at the body and my throat closed up when I realized it was Varric. His crossbow broken in two with a gaping hole in his chest._

" _Varric." I cried nearly silent as I moved to him and checked his pulse, but he was already gone as well. My eyes were wide, tears blurring my vision as I looked up at my Father. "How could you?" I asked, but he was no longer my Father. Tayen instead stood with a grin lighting his face._

" _Oh I did nothing, Quinn darling. You are the one who couldn't save them." He hissed as he moved to the side and the Herald laid there missing his marked hand as he choked on his last breath. "Some 'Protector' you are." He scoffed as he lifted the Herald's limp head and squeezed his cheeks. "It's too bad. He was such an innocent soul. Never even killed anyone." Tayen mocked as he threw Trevelyan's body down onto the ground. Walking up to me he grabbed my chin and jerked my head up to him and sneered at me. He hoisted me up and backed me against a sharp pillar of red lyrium. His laugh ringing out around me._

" _Let her go!" I knew that voice. Tayen looked to me before turning his head to the man who'd just yelled at him. My eyes moved over Tayen's shoulder and I stopped when I saw who it was standing amongst the bodies and destruction. For a moment I mistook the man for a lion. His body basically glowing with a golden aura against the blackened landscape. His blonde hair waving slightly in the breeze, his armor glinting green from the Breach above as he extended his sword._

" _Cullen." I breathed as I felt a smile come to my face. Tayen's eyes flared angrily, but suddenly he disappeared in a puff of black smoke leaving me behind coughing and wheezing on the ground. A hand touched my hair and gently turned me over. "Where-?" I started, but he held a finger to my lips as he crouched down in front of me._

" _Shh, it's okay." He said and slid his hand my cheek with a smile on his face. "You're safe." He whispered and I looked around me and saw all the damage and destruction falling away till it was only me and him._

" _Cullen…" I murmured as he stood up and smiled down at me. "Wait. Please." I called out as he walked away from me seemingly not hearing me.  
_

* * *

My eyes opened wide and I looked around. The sun peeking through the trees, birds taking flight from branches as the morning dew covered the grass covered ground. Beneath me the somewhat smooth bark of the tree had been replaced by something fluffy. Cullen's scent wafting around me, citrus and musky man scent that was incredibly delightful. I sat up and raked a hand through my hair sleepily and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. I stood and leant back and stretched my arms out beside me, feeling my bones pop and my muscles stretch. Smiling to myself I looked to my companion's tents, my eyes falling on Cullen's tent and staring at it for a while. The dream confusing me while also making me feel a warmth inside of me. Cullen saving me...the way he looked. So golden and beautiful and…perfect. My heart fluttered in an odd way that made me feel like I couldn't breathe. An erratic and unfamiliar feeling somewhere between terror and happiness. Tearing my eyes from the tent I looked towards the woods. I needed to run, to clear my head and focus on today's mission. Making sure my daggers were in place I then situated my cloak back into place. I stopped however when I saw Cullen's fluffy mantle lying on the dirty ground and picked it up and cleaned it off before hanging it by his tent. With that I crept from the camp site making sure not to wake anyone and once I was clear I started running.

Guiding myself through trees and brush I focused on the mission ahead. Go to the Storm Coast. Find the Chargers. Obtain the Chargers. Return to Haven in one piece. In all reality it shouldn't be too hard, but for some reason there is always a problem that arises with these people. Some unforeseen danger that magically pops up and screws up the plan. Leaping over a log as I circled the camp I landed in the shallowest part of the stream. The water slightly soaking into my boot as I moved onto the rocky side and ran along it. My mind wandered to the Herald as I wove through the trees. Wondering if he was alright. I should be receiving word today from Leliana about the Herald's arrival in Val Royeaux. I was anxious about it. All it took was one noble prig to be standing there with a full armed guard and the Herald was done for. I blinked and the image of the Herald dead at my feet flashed before me. Shaking my head, I ran faster leaving those thoughts to the wind. My breath coming in pants now as I made my way all the way around the camp to where the stream made a path up to the camp, but slowed to a stop when I saw Blackwall and Cullen standing shirtless in the stream. Their pants rolled up to their knees where the water was barely touching as they poured water over their heads. I quickly slid behind a tree, the blush erupting furiously across my cheeks. My face burned as I squeezed my eye shut and prayed my noes wasn't bleeding. _Andraste's Flaming knickers. Was I still dreaming?_ I lifted a hand to my arm and pinched myself as hard as I could. _Nope. Not a dream._

"So what's the mission today, Commander?" Blackwall's gruff voice rang out and despite my mind screaming at me to sneak away, I stayed and eavesdropped. I guess it was the spy in me.

"We are to head to the Storm Coast and recruit The Bull's Chargers Mercenary Company." Cullen responded, and I couldn't stop myself anymore. I peeked around the tree silently and saw the muscles and nearly started drooling. Cullen wasn't facing me, but Blackwall was. His chest wide, scarred and covered in thick black hair the same color as his beard. His abs somewhat defined, but without a doubt muscular. My eyes drifted to Cullen's back which looked like it was sculpted from marble. The white scars from years of training lacing his back beautifully. The tight, bulging muscles working in his back and arms as he washed his curly hair. I bit my knuckle to keep the girlish squeal inside. _Quinn, like-ie…Quinn like-ie very much._

"Haven't really heard of 'em." Blackwall said as he raked his fingers through his beard. I watched Cullen nod and look behind him briefly.

"I have heard very little as well. But, the Lady Protector seems to know quite a lot about them, and believes they will be an excellent addition to the Inquisition." He agreed and I smiled to myself at his words.

"Ah…that woman is a mystery. I can't quite figure her out." I stiffened and turned my head slightly around the tree to Blackwall as he carried on his bathing. Cullen looked over towards the camp before he rubbed his neck. "But, perhaps it is only because I have known her so briefly." He added a bit quieter emitting a chuckle from Cullen.

"No, I've known her for a couple of weeks now and she is still a mystery." He replied and I felt a smile come to my lips again. A mystery? I studied Cullen for a moment as I saw his hands gingerly moved past the sutures. His eyes traveling thoughtfully up towards the camp.

"She's a rare one. Doesn't care much for talking, she likes action." Blackwall chuckled and I turned back around the tree when his eyes turned straight ahead of him. I could imagine Cullen was tense at the moment. A blush creeping up along his handsome face. But, much to my shock I heard him reply with a clear voice.

"She certainly is not like most women." And now my cheeks were aflame again, even though I wasn't certain if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Are most women what he likes…? They were quiet after that, but if I tried to sneak off I knew Blackwall would see me, looks like my only option was to run right on through and pretend like I hadn't heard any of it. Pulling a few more strands of hair into my face and pinching my cheeks I trotted out and around the tree and saw Blackwall look up at me. His hand darting out for his sword briefly before he paused and smiled up at me. He was rather attractive, in a rugged, forest man type of way.

"Good morning, My Lady!" He called and I didn't have to fake the blush that hit my cheeks when his eyes and Cullen's fell on me. I found myself slowing as I moved towards the path to the camp.

"Good morning Warden Blackwall." I called and looked to Cullen who looked too awkward to move. "Good morning, Commander." I added as I walked past them and Blackwall smiled at me. "Pardon my intrusion gentlemen, I was just out for a morning run." I apologized as I returned the smile, attempting to keep my eyes and thoughts from wandering. I quickly turned on my heels and bolted up the hill to the camp and when I was out of their sight I leant up against a tree and fanned myself. _Pull yourself together. You've seen shirtless men before!_ My mind screamed as I tugged at the linen shirt. _But they were not nearly as attractive as them._ My own mind retorted on itself as I threw up my hands in exasperation. Stupid men and their stupid gorgeous bodies. Abruptly something cawed at me and I looked up to see one of Leliana's ravens flying towards me. I held out my wrist and the bird landed gracefully on top with its left foot extended with a note attached to it. I took the letter from the bird and smoothed my fingers over its feathers as I read it.

'" _Lady Nightingale,_

 _We have finished scouting out Val Royeaux as you ordered. There are Templars here to support the Chantry or so we think. We have stationed your spies throughout the masses of people to watch for and after the Herald when he arrives. No signs of hostility yet, but we will keep a close and watchful eye._

 _-Scout Fortain"_

" _Quinn,  
The Herald should not arrive for a few more hours from when you should get this and my scouts will send another letter for news of what is happening. As of this news about the Templars, I am not sure what it means, but I do not think that it has anything to do with the Herald's peaceful chat with the Clerics. Keep me informed on your mission as well. Also, one of my scouts has informed me of a new boutique that has just opened in Val Royeaux and the clothing there is to die for. When you return perhaps we shall order some clothing. You have been running around in your linens and I will not have it. _

_-Leliana"'_

I smirked at the end of the letter, but found myself shaking my head as I looked over the portion of the letter about the Templars. Why would they be in Val Royeaux to support the Chantry…that was odd. And why now of all times? Was it because of Justinia's death? It didn't make much sense to me. Rereading the letter, I made sure I didn't miss anything giggling slightly over the boutique part. I'd definitely need them now that…Belle ran off. I heaved a sigh at the thought. She was a good horse…

"Is that a letter?" Cullen asked next to me and I snapped out of my daze and looked up at him and nodded. Handing him the long slip of paper I watched his eyes scan over the paper.

"Leliana informed me of the matters in Val Royeaux. If the scout sent her that early this morning and she sent it to me immediately, then I would say the Herald should be there fairly soon." I explained as he looked over the top part again, his forehead creasing.

"What is this about the Templars in Val Royeaux?" He asked more to himself than to me. I shrugged, however and tapped my chin.

"I'm not sure, and neither is Leliana. I highly doubt it has anything to do with the Herald, though. Or at least I hope it doesn't." I muttered as I leant against the tree behind me. His eyes raked over the bottom part and a smirk came to his lips as he looked over at me.

"You women and your clothing." He said with a shake of his head, and I shot a smirk in his direction.

"Not all of us can get away with running around shirtless, Commander." I replied sassily as I snatched the letter from his hands. He blushed and rubbed the back of his neck and gulped awkwardly. "Do you have any paper? I need to write her back." I stated trying to ignore his adorable blushing, and watched him move past me quick as a flash. As he moved I looked to the spot where I'd patched him up and grimaced at the thought of all the blood he lost. My eyes flicked down to my hands, my body stiffening before I heard him call for me.

"Here." He said and I thanked him as he handed me the paper, quill and ink. I walked over and sat on a stump and tapped the quill in the ink pot and began scribbling down the events that led up till now.

" _Leliana,  
I have obtained your Warden, and he is currently in my party. Everything was going pretty smoothly, until on the way to our current camping position we were attacked-" _

I paused and looked up to Cullen who was standing a few feet from me, watching.

"Should I or should I not tell her you were badly injured?" I asked and he tilted his head to me before his hand reached up and brushed the sutures. He looked back to me and nodded,

"Yes. If there was an injury you should always put it in the reports." He responded and I raised an eyebrow at him. He sounded like he was talking to a trainee recruit.

"Good to know…" I replied vaguely and rolled my shoulder at the thought of my now healed arrow wound. He shot me a skeptical look before shaking his blonde head and walking back to his tent and packing it up. Now…where was I?

" _-By apostates. The Commander was badly wounded in his shoulder by a shard of ice. However, since I am also a part-time healer, I fixed him up. I believe he will live. He was a real champ about it, too. Bleeding out and barely blinked an eye, and wanted to keep going on with the mission. I mean really Leli, where do you find these people? Anyway, we're going to be headed out to the Storm Coast soon. We should be there in perhaps five to six hours._

 _P.s. We certainly have to see about this new boutique mostly because my clothing quite literally ran off. I had to share the Commander's horse just to get to the camping spot. I am not happy about it._

 _-Quinn"_

I rolled up the letter and tied it off with the string that came with the letter she sent. Whistling to the raven it swooped down from its perch and landed on my arm again as I tied it off.

"Take this to Leliana." I murmured to the raven as I thrust my arm up. The bird beat its wings excitedly as it soared above the trees and out of my view. I dropped my view from the bird to Cullen as I picked up his supplies and placed them gently in his pack. He was now back in his full armor and pulling against the leather on his wounded shoulder. "Is it irritating your injury?" I asked and he looked up at me a bit startled. His hands dropped from his armor quickly.

"A little, but as to be expected." He replied and I held up my finger as I walked over to his pack and grabbed a clean towel and folded it gently. He watched me as I did and slowly pulled his armor forward away from his linen shirt underneath and placed the towel in between. I felt the heat of his eyes and another's on me as I did this. Tucking a stray piece of hair behind my ear as I looked up at him forgetting the lack of space between us.

"That should be a bit more comfortable." I reassured as our eyes locked. "How does it feel?" I asked, but he didn't move as he looked back and forth in between my eyes.

"Perfect." He replied slowly and something behind us dropped making me jump. I turned to see Blackwall picking up a pan and parts of his tent.

"My apologies." He called out with a small awkward wave as he leant over and finished picking up his things. I came to my senses, realizing how close I was to Cullen and backed away. He cleared his throat and got busy placing the rest of his things in his pack. I grabbed my overcoat and pulled myself into it and buckled it closed. Pulling the elastic from my hair I let my auburn hair fall around me. The pony tail giving me a slight headache, plus I liked feeling the wind in my hair when I rode. I looked over at Cullen's fluffy cloak as it hung and grabbed it for him.

"Somehow this ended up as my pillow." I said and he chuckled and pulled it around himself and situated it around his neck.

"I wonder how that happened…" He replied with a slick grin and I laughed at him as I shrugged and looked to Blackwall as he poured water on the fire. The lasting embers turning into puffs of smoke. I took one last look around the camp and made sure we hadn't forgotten anything and nodded.

"Alright. Are we ready to head off?" I asked as Blackwall walked over with his horse. He nodded as he pulled at his armor situating it on his body.

"I believe so, My Lady." He replied as Cullen did the same. Now I was the one who felt like a burden. My horse was gone which meant that I had to ride with one of them. It was not that comfortable riding hours alone on a horse, less so with someone else. Cullen and Blackwall swung onto their horses as I stood somewhat awkwardly. Cullen extended his hand to me and I reached out for him when I heard Blackwall speak up. "Lady Protector, why don't you ride with me? The Commander is still injured and I wouldn't want him to be in pain for the duration of the ride." Blackwall pointed out and I paused and looked up at Cullen who was looking to Blackwall with an impassive look. I didn't want to cause Cullen pain, Blackwall was right about that.

"Thank you for your concern, Warden Blackwall, but I assure you I am in no pain." Cullen returned with the same impassive look. It was then that I realized that Cullen didn't trust Blackwall. Probably why he was bathing with him today…and why he didn't want me riding with him. Cullen's eyes turned to me and I smiled up at him.

"It's alright, Commander. I can't imagine having someone riding with you and your injury would be very comfortable." I replied and he looked as if he were about to argue. "Even if it doesn't hurt now, it could later and I don't want to do that to you." I added quickly and he nodded and retracted his hand back to the reins as Warden Blackwall held out his hand to me and I took it and swung onto his horse. I placed my hands on the packs as we rode forward and suddenly Blackwall took off. I jolted as we passed Cullen and grabbed hold of Blackwall to stay on the horse. Cullen beat after us as we took off North towards the Storm Coast. Blackwall's gruff laugh ringing out in my ears.

"Hold on to me, Lady Protector. The ride might get bumpy." Blackwall called back and I held onto his sides as ran through the forest. Cullen right beside us as we did. Time past slowly as we made our way north through the thick woods to the Storm Coast, and I could hardly wait. I'd wanted to see the sea for so long. The last time I'd been was about 4 years ago, and I hardly got to see it. "So, Lady Protector, do you like games?" Blackwall asked and I shook myself from my thoughts and looked at the back of Blackwalls head.

"Depends on the game." I replied and he turned his head to me with a smirk playing at his lips.

"Smart woman. It's a fun game, really. I describe something in our surroundings and you try and guess what it is." He replied and I lifted an eye brow and looked around.

"Well, it should be an easy game for me. All that is around us is foliage and random animals." I replied, emitting a chuckle from him.

"True, but it beats sitting in silence, does it not?" _Well he has a point there._ He looked around for a moment before nodding. "Alright, the object is green, with a long stem, and white petals." He said and I looked around and I grinned.

"This _is_ an easy game. It's the elfroot." I responded and he chuckled,

"I was going easy on you. It was only the first round, next one will be harder." He warned and motioned for me to go. I looked around trying to think of something hard, my eyes falling to Cullen's gloved hand.

"Alright. It's dark brown, with five extensions, and it is smooth to the touch." I said and Blackwall grabbed his chin and in front of us I saw Cullen tilt his head as if he were mulling over it as well. I giggled at the two men and Blackwall pointed.

"A tree." Blackwall said and I shook my head.

"Nope."

"Roots?" He asked and I shook my head again,

"Try again."

"A druffalo?" Blackwall guessed again and I laughed at that one.

"Maker's breath you are bad at this. Do you want a hint?" I asked and he nodded and I thought over it and smirked. "Alright, the hint is, is that this object conceals something." He looked around and ran his hand over his beard. I couldn't tell if he was humoring me or if he honestly didn't know. Suddenly Cullen looked down at his glove and I saw a grin spread across his lips.

"I've got it." He announced and I smirked.

"Oh, you do?" I asked and he held up his hand and turned it for both of us to see.

"It's my glove." He said and I giggled and nodded.

"That's correct!" He looked back at me and smiled as I laughed at how obvious the answer was as Blackwall slapped his forehead.

"Maker I feel foolish." Blackwall said through a chuckle. I looked towards Cullen and grinned,

"Alright, Commander it's your turn." I said and he looked around slowly before nodding.

"This object is small and sharp looking. It shines like silver and holds something together." He said and I looked around us and shook my head. Maker I had no clue. What was around us that had that description.

"A buckle?" I asked and Cullen stiffened as if I'd gotten the answer and I grinned. "It's a buckle isn't it!?" I asked excitedly and he chuckled and looked towards me.

"What buckle?" He asked and I lifted a finger to my chin and squinted at him.

"You're a tricky one, Commander. It's probably the smallest buckle that makes up the horses reins or something like that. Or maybe something involving your armor." I replied and he tilted his head back and laughed.

"To you it should be a bit more obvious." He replied and I lifted my eye brow at his amusement, but his hint caught my attention. I looked over myself in confusion checking myself for buckles as Blackwall looked back as well. I tapped my chest piece, but shook my head. No, that was too big… My hand moved to my cloak and my eyes lit up. The buckle of my cloak! I turned to him excitedly and tapped it.

"It's the buckle on my cloak!" I exclaimed and he smirked and nodded. I punched the air in victory and laughed. "I love this game!" I said excitedly and heard the two men chuckle around me when a caw sounded through the air. I looked up and saw the same raven flapping towards me. I held up my arm and the bird landed gently its same foot extended. I stroked its feathers gently before taking the letter from the raven again and reading it.

 _'"Lady Nightingale,_

 _The Herald arrived in Val Royeaux. He spoke with the Mothers, but it didn't go as planned. They didn't wish to speak calmly, instead insulted the Herald of Andraste in front of a large group in the square. It was dealt with however, when Lord Seeker Lucius…um…interrupted the head Mother and announced that the Templars were not returning to the Chantry. Seeker Pentaghast tried to speak with him, but he was very rude and short with her. According to the Lady Seeker it is very unusual for him to act this way. The Herald will also be attending a gala hosted by Vivienne de Fer, a head Mage to the Orlesian court. Also, when the Herald was leaving the square they were confronted by Fiona the Leader of the Rebel Mages in Redcliffe. She wants to speak with the Inquisition about recruitment._

 _-Scout Fortain."_

" _Quinn,  
This is the news I just received from Val Royeaux. I sent it to you as quick as possible. The Herald is safe, he should be headed towards this Vivienne de Fer's chateau at the present. I assume you are almost in the Storm Coast now. As for the Commander's injury have one of the healers look over the wound when you get to the outpost there. Not that I do not trust your handiwork with a needle, but better to be safe than sorry. The business about your clothing is unfortunate, Josephine and I will take the pleasure of ordering you new ones. Keep me updated on your progress with the mission. _

_P.s. Happy Name Day, my friend. I have a present waiting from Orlais for you when you return._

 _-Leliana"'_

 _Awe, Leli remembered_. I read over the letter and looked to Cullen as I stood on the back of Blackwall's horse and jumped into the saddle behind Cullen. The Commander nearly jumped out of his skin when I did and turned his head to me.

"Sweet Maker-Quinn you could've warned me." He admonished making me shrug as I handed him the letter. I reached into his pack and grabbed the parchment, ink and quill. "This doesn't make any sense. Why would the Templars leave the Chantry like this…? Have they gone completely mad?" He questioned out loud, making me shrug once more. As I tried to steady my hand on the rather bumpy road.

"What I'm concerned about it the Mage part. That doesn't really make sense to me that their Leader would just waltz up to the Herald and invite us to Redcliffe. I thought neither side was even acknowledging us." I replied and he shook his head as he read over the letter again.

"They weren't…until now. I guess." He muttered as he continued to read the letter. I holding the quill steady I scribbled down a quick letter.

" _Leliana,  
I'll make sure the Commander gets looked at, and we are almost in the Storm Coast. I shall write you when we acquire the Chargers. And thank you, I'm sure you and Josephine will pick me out a great wardrobe. And thank you, Leliana, I can't wait. _

_-Quinn"_

Placing everything gently back into the pack I rolled up the letter. The raven hopped down from my shoulder and onto my forearm as I tied it to his foot and lifted him into the air. He took to the skies with a mighty flap of his wing as Cullen turned to me.

"It's your Name Day?" He asked and I nodded slowly with an embarrassed smile.

"Yes…I have survived 28 years. We're all very surprised." I said jokingly and he chuckled at that. I was about to stand in the saddle to go back over to Blackwall's horse not wanting to make Cullen uncomfortable, but his hand flew out and grabbed my arm.

"We are almost there, and I don't want you to fall off." He told me with a stern look. I sat back down in the saddle properly and looked to his shoulder.

"What about-"He waved his hand nonchalantly.

"It does not hurt, and I can endure an hour of it if it does." He replied equally as stern as the look he gave me. Rolling my eyes as my hands moved to his sides. He stiffened again, but slowly relaxed.

"You just wanted me to sit with you, huh?" I asked quietly and saw the blush climb up his ears and unexpectedly Blackwall's chuckle rang out from beside us.

"Maker's Breath…" He muttered as we continued to trot down the path with the smell of the salty sea in the air.


	10. Chapter 10

I smiled and took in the salty sea air as we rode into the Inquisition's outpost camp. Cullen hopped off the horse first and held his hand out to me and helped me off. His eyes scoured the camp, possibly making notes in his head of what he could help out with. _Seems like something he'd do._ Blackwall hopped off his horse next to us and ties his horse to a tree as well. We made our way through the camp and as we did soldiers saluted Cullen and I as we walked towards Scout Harding. She turned to us and straightened immediately a bit of a blush appearing on her cheeks.

"Lady Protector! C-Commander…uh, welcome to the Storm Coast." She said and tore her eyes away from Cullen to smile nervously at me. "I would've sent word sooner, but to be honest I didn't realize you'd be here this fast. We also have been a bit delayed." She added flicking her eyes at Cullen only briefly and blushing even further. Amusedly, I grinned at the scout. _Did she have a crush on Cullen?_ Looking up to Cullen I saw him nod completely oblivious to Harding's blush. I shifted my weight and crossed my arms in an amused manner, wondering when or even if he would notice.

"What delays?" Cullen asked and she looked up at him again addressing him fully this time.

"A group of bandits operating in the area, Sir. They know the terrain and our small party is having trouble going up against them. Some of our soldiers went to speak with their leader. Haven't heard back though." I grimaced at that and rubbed the back of my neck. _Because they're probably dead._ I nodded to her and played with the grips on my daggers.

"Don't worry about it Harding. I'll do everything I can to find our people." I told her with a confident smile. She smiled over at me and nodded,

"Thank you, My Lady. That's a relief. The soldiers didn't have an exact location for the bandits, but they were starting their search farther down the beach. With all this fuss we haven't been able to conduct a proper search for the Wardens' either." She said and looked around her avoiding Cullen all together a blush creeping up her freckled cheeks again. "Oh, and enjoy the sea air. I hear it's good for the soul." She added before walking away. I grinned and looked up at Cullen as he looked around the camp before catching my gaze.

"What?" He asked confused as to why I was staring at him like that. I laughed and threw my hands up in the air. He hadn't even noticed. No wonder he didn't think any woman was pining after him. _He's so oblivious!_ I looked around for a healer, following Leliana's orders and saw one just inside the tent. I walked up to him, Cullen right behind me and smiled.

"Hello, sir. The Commander needs to be looked at." I said and Cullen shot me an incredulous look.

"I do not need a healer, Lady Protector. We need to go find the Bull's Chargers and the Inquisition's men." He replied. Rolling my eyes at his childishness, I tapped the letter in my pocket.

"Fine. Then you can deal with Lady Nightingale's wrath." I said and he blanched a little in the face before sighing and walking into the Healers tent, but stopped and looked back at me.

"Do not leave this camp without me, got it?" He asked and I nodded and folded my arms over my chest.

"Wouldn't dream of it, Commander." I replied with a sly smirk and watched him roll his eyes at me before disappearing into the tent. I walked around and to the edge of the camp and saw just down below two different groups fighting. One in all black and the others in mercenary garb. The Bull's Chargers! I looked back towards the Healers tent. He was still injured, and I didn't want him fighting. If he did then he could get hurt worse and I would feel worse. I needed a way to keep him from the battle. Just long enough for me to neutralize the threat. I walked back up to the tent and looked to Blackwall. "I need you to keep him busy up here. The Bull's Chargers are down there and the Commander is still injured, no matter how 'alright' he says he is." I said and Blackwall nodded,

"I don't think I alone will be able to keep him up here. Not if he thinks you're in danger." Blackwall stated as he crossed his arms and I winced realizing he was right. Just then, I saw a woman walk up to me and look to the tent with concern.

"Is the Commander, alright?" She asked and I looked over at her and nodded with a small smile. _Oh, you shall do perfectly._ "Was he injured?" She questioned again what should I tell her? The truth? Or maybe something a bit more heroic and dashing. I smirked secretly before pulling on a look of fake amazement.

"Oh yes, he was! It was awful, he nearly lost his life saving these little orphan boys from a terrible house fire! He nearly didn't make it out!" I whispered exaggeratedly. Her eyes widened at my tale and she shook her head.

"Oh my!" She gasped and I nodded,

"He's right in there. I'm sure he'll appreciate it if you stick around and thank him **profusely** for all he did for those sweet, sweet children." I said to her and she nodded and stood dutifully outside of the tent. I ran past Blackwall and grinned as he shook his head with slight amusement as I ran down the hill and looked to the crowd of people. The first person I saw when I slid down the remainder of the hill was a Qunari man with giant horns.

"Iron Bull, I presume?" I asked and he looked to me shortly before nodding with a grin.

"Horns usually give it away. You here to help?" Without saying a word I smirked and ran forward slicing through an unaware Mages body. "Alright!" The Iron Bull yelled with excitement. I needed to cut these Venatori down before Cullen got down here. Knowing him he'd be barreling down here the moment he found out I was gone. Quickly running up to another I extended my blades and flipped over a warrior with a sword and rammed the shield into the man's head and swept his feet. He fell to the ground and I drove the dagger down with force and with a wet thud it sunk right into his chest. He jolted in pain, his eyes wide as the light died out of them. I heard someone running towards me and I rolled forward as I brought my daggers up. The great sword wielding man brought his blade down to where I was and missed. He pulled his blade around and swiped at me angrily. I bent backwards to miss the blade before twisting back up and blocking another attack by his blade and drove my dagger into his gut. Abruptly I heard my name called and looked towards the hill and saw Cullen running down the hill with Blackwall just behind him. His eyes wide as he pulled his sword. It was then that I heard exactly why he had yelled my name. Steps, rather large steps behind me and turned to see a man the size of a mountain. His black armor shining as he suddenly brought down his axe and I slid to the side to miss the attack. I kicked his hand making him drop the massive weapon and slashed my daggers across the marauders chest plate, but they only made him angrier. His big hand shot out and grabbed my around my neck. My eyes bulged as the man lifted me up and squeezed. I bucked against his hand and looked over to see Cullen struggling to get through people to me. I tore my eyes away as the marauder squeezed my neck harder. Clawing his hands as my feet dangled I heard him laugh.

"Die, bitch!" The marauder growled. My anger flared up inside of me and I kicked my feet forward and placed them on the marauders face effectively throwing myself backwards out of his grasp. He grabbed at his face and went to blindly grab his axe as he turned his helmet back around. His neck was exposed, just under his jaw. If I was quick enough I could strike there. Quickly I pulled my legs underneath me and launched myself upwards. As I did, I brought my daggers forward and drove them through the bottom of the marauders jaw. His blood splashing across me as I did. His eyes blew wide, his breath coming in gurgles and dropped the axe next to him as I snarled at him. He fell backwards and I landed with him before pulling my blades from the dead marauder. Cleaning the blood off my blades I heaved a breath and stood straight. Looking just ahead of me Cullen was staring at me with wide eyes and I felt the snarl drop from my face as I delicately hopped off the marauders dead body. Blackwall joined him and kicked the dead marauder before whistling in awe.

"Remind me to stay on your good side, Lady Protector." Blackwall stated with a chuckle and I grinned in his direction.

"What are you talking about Blackwall, I have no good side." I shot back playfully, but was silenced by the look Cullen gave me as he marched up to me. _He does not look happy._

"What were you thinking?" He asked angrily, but quietly as he motioned around us. "You could've been killed!" He fussed as his hands went to my chin, surprisingly gentle as his eyes raked over my neck.

"But I wasn't." I shot back and kicked the dead marauder as Cullen inspected where the marauder tried to strangle me. "I can handle myself." I urged, but his eyes never looked towards me, only at my neck where I'm sure bruises were starting to raise.

"He had you by your neck, he could have-"

"But I killed him." I interjected, hearing him sigh. He dropped my head as he backed away. "Cullen…I'm alright." I said extra quietly and he looked up at my eyes and he nodded as he ran a hand through his hair.

"And all that blood?" He asked and I shrugged,

"Not mine." I replied simply and he gave me a sharper nod. "You don't have to worry about me, Commander. I've got this fighting thing down." I added with a grin and watched him fight the smile on his face. _I am an assassin, but also a warrior. Thanks to my Father…_ Something about what I'd just said however seemed to spark something in him. Cullen's eyes turned angry as they slowly formed a glare.

"You still violated a direct order from your Commander. You were not to leave the camp unless I was with you." He ground out, his 'Commander' act back on. Shifting my weight I felt my eyes roll on their own volition.

"I apologize, I didn't realize I was still a prisoner." I drawled and Cullen's eyes flared angrily,

"You aren't a prisoner, _Thedran_ , but you need to understand that you are no good to anyone dead." My eye brows shot up at the mention of my last name. _That's new. I must've really done it this time._ "I am the Commander, and you will do as I say." He declared and I balled up my fists, Maker he could be so unreasonable! I was doing that for him! To keep him safe! My temper flared, and I couldn't force it down. Matching his stance my eyes locked onto his the fire in his eyes mirrored in mine.

"And you need to understand, _Rutherford_ that I don't give a damn who you are. You are not my Commander, I am not some green recruit. You do **not** order me around. You do **not** lecture me. I can take care of myself." I hissed as I jabbed my finger at his chest. "Got it?" I sneered up at him, my hand slightly sparking brightly at my hip. His eyes filled with rage and he looked as if he were about to say something, but I spun on my heels and strut towards Iron Bull.

"Chargers stand down. Krem how'd we do?" The Iron Bull asked as he looked around the beach now covered in blood and bodies. The sea water slowly washing it away.

"5 or 6 wounded Chief, no dead." Krem responded with a sharp nod to the Iron Bull. He looked over at me briefly a small smile coming to his lips as he dipped his head in my direction. I returned the gesture and looked towards the Iron Bull again.

"That's what I like to hear let the throat cutters finish up then break open the casks. So you're with the Inquisition, huh? Glad you could make it. Come on, have a seat. Drinks are coming." He asked as he turned to me. I nodded with a smile and held out my hand for him to shake.

"Yes, my companion's right over there are as well." I said and he briefly looked over my shoulder before shaking my hand.

"I assume you remember Cremisius Aclassi, my lieutenant." Bull said as he looked to Cremisius.

"Good to see you again." Krem greeted with a smile. I smiled and nodded back to him as he came to stand next to me. "Throat cutters are done, Chief." Krem declared as he pulled his hands behind his back.

"Already? Have them check again. I don't want any of those Tevinter bastards getting away. No offense Krem." Bull said with a small smirk. Krem let a short smile spread across his lips before he shook his head.

"None taken. At least a bastard knows who his Mother was. That's a one up on you Qunari, right?" He fired back as he walked off.

"So, you've seen us fight. We're expensive, but we're worth it. And I'm sure your Inquisition can afford us." Bull said with a smile in my direction as he stood and walked towards me.

"The Chargers seem like an excellent company." I replied as I looked around the camp and noticed Cullen walking towards us. Just a couple strides away.

"They are. But, you're not just getting the boys. You're getting me. You need a front line bodyguard. I'm your man. Whatever it is, demons? Dragons? The bigger the better." He said as he strode past me and turned. "Oh, and there's one other thing. Might be useful…might piss you off. Ever hear of the Ben Hassrath?" He asked and I knew I couldn't keep my poker face for that one. Had I heard of the Ben Hassrath? _Pffft, of course I have._ A formidable and secretive Qunari spy network. Came across a few of them in Orlais. But…if he was asking…that means… Cullen appeared at my side immediately looking in between Iron Bull and me.

"Yes. They're a Qunari spy network or should I say…you're…" I said slowly and saw the smirk on his lips. Cullen looked to me and then back at Iron Bull who nodded with a similar smirk to mine.

"You're quick. The Ben Hassrath are worried about the Breach. Magic out of control like that could cause trouble everywhere. I've been ordered to join the Inquisition, get close to the people in charge, and send reports on what's happening. But, I also get reports from Ben Hassrath agents from all over Orlais. You sign me on, I'll share them with you." He replied and I squinted at him as Cullen moved slightly in front of me, his hand moving to my arm.

"You're a Qunari spy and you just told us?" Cullen questioned and Bull looked to him and nodded. I looked to him as well as my eyes slid down to his hand on my arm, my confusion quenching my anger. This man was going to give me whiplash. My eyes slid back up his form. He looked pensive like he was ready for an attack at any moment, but I'm not exactly sure who he expected to attack him. Was he really this antsy just around spies? What happens when I tell him what I am… _If I tell him…_

"Whatever happened in that Conclave, it's bad. Someone needs to get that Breach closed. So whatever I am, I am on your side." Bull stated, but Cullen still looked questioning.

"You still could have hidden what you are." He stated and the Iron Bull laughed.

"From something called the Inquisition? I would've been tipped sooner or later. Better you hear it right up front from me." He responded his eyes falling on me as I lifted an eye brow at Iron Bull looked directly at me as if he had some sort of spy sense. _Did he know what I am?_

"Alright, you're in." I said with a smile and the Iron Bull grinned.

"Excellent." He rumbled and turned to the men up on the hill carrying these massive crates. "Krem! Tell the men to finish on the road. The Chargers just got hired." Iron Bull called out and Krem turned somewhat exasperatedly.

"What about the casks, Chief? We just opened them up. With Axes." Krem grunted and the Iron Bull next to me called out.

"Find some way to seal them. You're Tevinter right? Try blood magic." Iron Bull said and looked to me, "We can head to Haven or we can stay with you. Heard the Inquisition was having trouble with bandits." He said and I smiled and looked to Cullen who still looked a bit skeptical. I needed someone who could keep the pressure off Cullen, Bull could do that and that way I could ensure Cullen wouldn't get hurt further. _Not that I care._ I hissed in my head, but I knew that was a lie.

"I'll take all the help I can get." He grinned and nodded clapping his hand down on my shoulder.

"You know, I like you, Boss." He said and I grinned and looked around the beach. Blackwall stepped into the Semi circle around me as I grabbed the map from my pants pocket and looked at the rendezvous point marked on my map and tapped it looking around the area.

"A team of Inquisition soldiers went missing trying to speak to a group of local bandits." I filled in for Bull and he nodded as Krem looked at the map over my shoulder. "We start looking here. This is where the group was supposed to meet up with Harding's team." I announced and looked to Iron Bull. "You've been around here, know any good way to get up there?" I asked and He looked down at the map and nodded.

"If we head back towards your outpost and head up the mountain that way it should be the quickest and easiest path. It also goes around the back so we can take any unfriendly welcome parties by surprise." I nodded and grinned towards him,

"Excellent idea." I replied as my eyes flickered over to Cullen who was situating his shoulder every once in a while. I tucked away the map and we headed up the hill. Cullen was falling back and I couldn't help but notice it. Perhaps I'd been too harsh on him, in his own way he was worried about me, just as I was for him. I didn't want him to be hurt, and since he was already injured he was…delicate at the moment. I should apologize, maybe he'd actually forgive me…

"Did you have an easy trip getting here?" Krem asked and I turned my head to him and smiled, I hadn't realized he was next to me.

"It could've gone better." I responded, my eyes flicking to Cullen again as I turned my head. "We ran into some trouble with Mages, but other than that the trip wasn't bad." I said with a reassuring smile. He chuckled and nodded as we hiked up the hill.

"I told Chief that you would be heading up here soon. Didn't expect you to get here so quickly. We're glad you did though…" He said awkwardly as he looked towards the Inquisition outpost camp and turned right and up the mountain. Was he flirting with me? I couldn't stop myself.

"As am I." I replied with a smirk and saw Krem's cheeks twinge pink before he gulped. I giggled at that, but stopped when I felt the heat of someone's eyes boring down on the back of my neck. I knew exactly who it was too, and for a brief moment I felt a twinge of regret, but shoved it down. Keeping my eyes forward I heard Krem speak up.

"Well in that case perhaps I owe you a drink." Krem flirted back making a smirk come back to my lips.

"Yes, perhaps you do." I quipped playfully as we continued to hike up the hill. We were quiet as we walked through the trees. It took about half an hour to travel to the spot, but once we were there I could see why they picked this place as a rendezvous point. It was thickly wooded and had one open spot and past that were two broken down cottages. We crept along. Bull signaled for his Chargers to hang back as he and Krem walked a bit ahead of us. Blackwall and Cullen flanking me as we moved. Something didn't feel right. It was too quiet and there was no one here or at least that we saw. "Something's not right." I called ahead quietly and Bull nodded as he grabbed his great axe quietly. My hand went to my daggers, but as I did I heard a bow tighten and my eyes followed the sound and I saw an archer in the trees just ahead of us. The arrow pointed towards Cullen. Immediately I threw him to the ground, his name falling from my lips as he tumbled down. The arrow shot and scraped over my arm as it shot past me. I gnashed my teeth as I pulled a dagger and threw it forward. The dagger hit where it was supposed to and the archer fell from the tree dead. Bull stopped as the archer fell a few feet from him and looked back at me. A moment later an ear shattering scream rose through the air. Cullen was back on his feet as he pulled his sword.

The fight broke out around us and I rushed towards the dead archer for my other blade my hand feeling empty without it. Flipping over the dead body I dodged a swipe from a long sword. These were no normal bandits. They moved with such efficiency as they attacked us. I drove my dagger threw the man with the long sword and looked towards Cullen. He swung his blade high, his shield pulled to the side as their blades clashed against another. Cullen cringed his left shoulder jarring. _His wounded shoulder._ I knelt down and grabbed the bow and the quiver of arrows. Sliding my daggers back in place I notched an arrow and lined it up as Cullen brought his blade down again. The great sword wielding man pushed him away and advanced on him. He raised his blade and I knew Cullen's shoulder couldn't take much more of this abuse. I fired the arrow and watched as the man cried out in pain as the arrow pierced through both of his hands, dropping his sword. Cullen took the opportunity and drove the blade through the other man's mid-section. Beside me I heard a woman cry out in anger and she raised a dagger towards me. It would take too much time to grab another arrow. I turned the bow and whipped the wooden part of the bow across her face. Her head snapped back and she sliced the dagger towards my chest. I blocked the attack with my forearm clashing against hers and grabbed her wrist. Throwing my motion up I flipped and she went with me and hit the ground hard. The dagger fell from her hand as she groaned before her foot shout out and kicked the back of my legs. I hit the ground and rolled away from her, but she jumped on top of me bringing the dagger down towards my chest.

"THAT WAS MY HUSBAND!" She screamed in my face as tears came to her eyes. The snarl on her face full of rage and pain as she brought the dagger down. And I faltered. I let the dagger go, but quickly moved to the side. The dagger dug into the ground as I brought my forehead forward and head butted her. She cried out in pain and that gave me the window I need to throw her off of me. She reacted quickly though, rage fueling her. She grabbed for my neck, but I was quicker and threw my foot forward, the tip of my boot colliding with the side of her jaw. She slumped against the ground before pulling herself up again.

"Maker woman, just stay down." I groaned as I stood and she pulled herself up and drew a smaller dagger from her boots and launched herself up at me. I twisted to the side as she moved past me. Her small knife extended.

"NEVER!" She screamed and turned to me the small knife pointed towards me. I'd had enough of this. I brought my foot up quick and knocked the blade from her hand. It flew straight into a tree and embedded itself in the bark as I kept the momentum going and flipped sending my other foot into her chest kicking her into a tree. "You killed him." She coughed and wheezed before yelling and running at me. I slipped a dagger from my pocket and grimaced as she ran at me. She raised her fist, but as she got close I stepped in front of her and drove my dagger straight through her. Her eyes were wide and she coughed up blood. Her lips curling at me. "You're a monster." She hissed as her eyes formed slits. I matched her glare as she slid off my blade. My eyes followed her as she fell next to the archer I'd killed. My eyes went to their hands and saw the matching golden bands on their fingers. I closed my eyes for a moment before I heard shouts of victory around me. My eyes opened, but were stuck on the woman now gripping the man's hand next to her. Staring down at them I found myself slipping into a memory, one very similar to this…

" _Tayen…" I whimpered as he lay dying, the demon inside of him gone. Leaving his bleeding body in the dirt and charred grass of the courtyard around us. Dead assassins, my brothers and sisters littering the ground. The scent of blood and smoke hanging in the air as I crawled over to him. The gaping wound in my abdomen aching and burning as blood flowed freely. The scorched grass beneath me painted red as I panted with exertion. I pulled myself up next to him as he jolted with a cough of blood. My dagger sunk up and into his abdomen. His head limply flopped over to me and I saw him smile, a small trail of blood flowing from the edge of his lips._

" _You were amazing, my love. You did it." He whispered and I felt sorrow clench at my heart as I raised my hand up and touched his cheek. The blood on my hand smearing on his cheek._

" _I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." I sobbed, tears flowing down my face as I kissed him. "Please don't die. Just hold on, you'll be alright." I whimpered as he laughed quietly at me, his body convulsing as another cough of blood clenched at my heart. He gripped my hand gently, his finger running over my engagement ring._

" _Don't be sorry. You did what you had to. Thank you." He whispered as he kissed my ring finger. His eyelids drooped closed and I shook my head. Weakly I grabbed his face as his other hand slipped over my wound. "You saved me, you were always saving me. So now, I'm saving you." He whispered as his hand lit up with a blue hue. I shook my head,_

" _No, you need to heal yourself." I whimpered as tears fell freely as I tried to move away. He shook his head and kept me where I was._

" _I only have enough energy for one of us. You." He whispered across my lips. The scent of blood on his breath, his hand dropped from my partially healed abdomen and he slumped more against the charred grass. I panicked and touched his cheek._

" _Tayen! Tayen please! Don't go-!" I sobbed louder and kissed his lips like it would somehow magically heal his wounds. "I love you!" I added desperately and he smiled as he forced his eyes open a crack._

" _I love you too, Quinn. Always." He whispered as his hand wove through my own left one. I watched as the light left his eyes and his chest stopped moving completely. No breath fanned across my cheeks as my heart dropped into my stomach and I felt sickly as I shook my head. My voice hoarse as I cried out for the Maker above to save him. "Maker please save him! Take me instead, just save him!" I prayed, but no one answered. Profanities and prayers fell from my lips as I held Tayen's face. My engagement ring winking dully at me. My Father ran into view and I saw his eyes flicker in between us and he lifted me into his arms quickly. I tried to fight him, to get back to Tayen, but he wouldn't let me. His eyes found mine as he carried me through the threshold of the house and to the Healers._

" _Quinn…you did well." He whispered-_

I felt someone jerk me suddenly and I looked over to Blackwall who patted me on my back, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from the couple _. 'You're a monster.'_ Her words ringing in my mind and I frowned.

"Yes…I am." I heard myself whisper as my hand brushed over my ring finger, suddenly feeling odd and empty. Blackwall shot me a confused look.

"You're what?" He asked, "Are you alright?" He questioned sounding concerned. I sighed and nodded faking a small smile.

"Yes, of course. Never better." I mumbled as I turned away from the couple and marched towards the cabin where Bull and his Chargers were lingering. Cullen was standing in front of me, a look of concern on his face.

"Lady Protector, are you alright?" He asked as he shifted his weight to move in step with me. Ignoring his question completely I kept my eyes on Bull.

"We have work to do." I dismissed. Bull looked around the cabin cautiously before allowing me in. I paused once I was in the cabin. Bodies littered the ground, some face up with blood splashed on them, some facing downward into the floor. I walked up to the first one and dropped into a crouch and placed my fingers to the scout's neck. _No pulse._ "Dead." I announced as I stood. "I figured as much." I murmured and walked towards the table where there a letter in perfect condition.

"We need to inform Scout Harding of this. Their families deserve to know what happened." Cullen said from behind me as I picked up the letter and read it.

" _It's not our place to disagree. They're attempting to set themselves up along the shore, and we have orders. We are the sword, not the hand that wields it. You taught me that._

 _If they are worthy, let them come with the Mercy's Crest. The Blades of Hesserian will listen. You will only get yourself cast out-or worse."_

The Blades of Hesserian? The bandits?

"It appears that there may be a way to challenge the leader of these bandits. Something about a Mercy's Crest." I voiced as I handed off the letter to Iron Bull who was next to me. He read over the letter carefully and nodded.

"Or we could just kill them all." He responded and I snorted an unamused laugh.

"Yes or that. But, I think this is a problem with management, Bull. It even says there that they aren't the ones who gave the orders, they just followed them and they don't seem too happy about it." I responded and he nodded as Cullen leant against a table opposite to us, staring down at a map. His finger dragging along a path to a small 'X' marked in black ink.

"It appears their forces are just a bit further down the beach." Cullen said as he looked at us over his shoulder.

"Let's move then. These bastards have it coming." Blackwall urged us. I looked to Cullen taking notice of him situating his shoulder again. I clenched my jaw. I'd fight the leader, I just needed this mercy crest. These men were good, a large group of them could kill Cullen in his current state. I pulled my eyes away when he noticed me staring and caught Bull watching me with interest before nodding as if he knew my thoughts. We walked out of the cabin and made our way down the mountain. It was steep and Krem held his hand out in front of me to help me down the last bit. I thanked him and jumped down with his help. I looked back as Cullen slid somewhat gracefully down the mountain and hopped off the end. He stumbled only slightly before looking to me. I nodded and turned as Blackwall walked next to me.

"Those bastards named themselves after a blade of Mercy. I don't care what their reasoning is, they deserve to die for the lives they took." He grunted next to me, but I couldn't agree with him.

"Is that not what we are? Just with better leaders? These could be good men. People with families, but we wouldn't know because of their leader's actions." I stated and Blackwall froze for a moment as if thinking over my words before turning silent. We made our way to the camp and Cullen strode just behind me. I could feel him there, and it brought me comfort. I needed to find a mercy crest. _There might be one near their settlement. If someone tried to challenge their leader…It's a long shot...I mean I didn't even know what the thing looked like._ We trekked down the hill and as we moved around the large rocks and saw their wooden settlement standing tall before us. We shrunk down and hid behind the hill. The two guards at the front gate never seeing us. Cullen looked over his shoulder and then back at us.

"We don't know how many men are inside that fortress. I say we create a distraction large enough to draw their forces out here. Once they are out, we attack." He said and I nodded,

"And if their forces are larger than ours? There could be dozens of soldiers in there." I reasoned and did a head count on our party. It was the four of us plus the six of Bull's men. It would be even worse if we did a full frontal attack even if it was by surprise. I _needed_ to find that Mercy Crest. Bull tapped me on the shoulder making sure to stay quiet.

"I found this on one of the bandits. It might be the Mercy Crest, and I know you want to try and save these people. If you think you can do it, then I'll give it to you. But, I'm not going to if you don't think you can kill the leader. Wouldn't be a very good bodyguard if I got my boss killed in the first 10 minutes." He whispered and I nodded and took the Mercy Crest from him. "If you want, I can fight him. But, you seemed determined to do it yourself, so I figured I'd ask." I nodded and held it in my hands keeping it out of eye shot from any others.

"I'll do it. I'm not going to send you in there, you have all these men to look after. Not that I don't think you could take the leader of course." I said and he smirked, "Hey, Bull if for some random reason I do get offed. Make sure the Herald doesn't get himself killed too, okay?" I asked and he nodded and clamped his hand on my shoulder. "Oh, odd request. Do you think anyone here has smoke bombs? I might need them." He nodded and called for a man named Rocky. A dwarf walked up to me as Cullen continued planning out the assault.

"Yeah, Chief?" He asked and Bull motioned towards me.

"Do you have any smoke bombs?" I asked and he checked his pockets and packs and clicked his tongue.

"No, I used me last one in the fight before this one." He grimaced and looked down into his bag, "But I got something even better." From his pocket he handed me a small ovular shaped container with a pin in it. Carefully handing me it he smiled. "Me own creation. Nothing else like it! Like a hand held bomb, but better. You put that near something and it'll blow it to kingdom come." My eye brow lifted and I smirked as I moved it around in my hand being very careful.

"How does it work?" I asked and he smirked and pointed to the button.

"You pull that pin and run or throw it. It's damaging. As long as you're not holding it you should be good. It take ten seconds to blow, again just don't be holding it."

"Blast radius?" I asked and he smirked like a little genius.

"That's the fun part. It's more of a tactical bomb. Very small radius, big concentrated explosion." I grinned at the bomb expert and looked down at it with a smirk. "What do you need it for?" He asked and I laughed.

"Not sure. I just feel that it is better to go in prepared." I said as I stood and pulled on the Mercy's Crest. Cullen looked up at me from his drawing in the dirt.

"Lady Protector what is that around your neck?" He asked and I tapped it gently,

"It's a mercy crest. You are going to wait here while I battle their leader." For a moment they were silent and then Blackwall and Cullen stood.

"What!?" They cried in unison and I looked over, the guards had not noticed thankfully. They looked to each other before back to me. Cullen took a step forward.

"No. There is a reason this man has not been challenged. You could be killed!" Cullen urged as he looked from the settlement to me. _Yeah, totally nothing new there._ Blackwall nodded next to him.

"He's right, my Lady. If you go in there without knowing anything about this man…the odds are not in your favor. The Commander's plan will work." Blackwall urged as well. I shook my head,

"And kill everyone in there? Possibly kill some of us? Because of one man's actions? If we can save these people and keep as many of us safe, should we not do it? They have a bad leader and he is forcing them to do bad things, I am going to give these people a better one." I replied strongly and heard Bull behind me as he placed a hand on my shoulder.

"She can do it. Let her." He said from over my shoulder and I nodded, my eyes falling on Cullen who was just itching to argue with my decision.

"I don't like this." He grunted as he looked towards the settlement again. A smile tipped my lips as I turned towards the settlement and walked forward. Cullen and Bull at my sides as I went. The rest following behind me. "My Lady, give me the crest. I will fight him." He said making me stop and turn to him. I couldn't be angry at him however, he just wanted to keep me safe. As I wanted to do the same for him.

"No. You are injured, I stand the best chance between the two of us." I stated as I looked to his shoulder and continued walking. He looked worried and angry at my decision. Looking straight ahead I addressed him quietly. "I'll be fine. I'm lucky." I stated simply and heard a short laugh burst from his lips.

"Why is that not comforting?" He asked as we got to the gate. The two guards flinched at the sight of us and looked at each other then back at me as the Crest jingled around my neck.

"I've come to challenge your leader." I called out and they looked to each other again and opened the gate.

"Only one can challenge him, lady." The guard on the left said to me with wide eyes. I grinned and nodded.

"And only one shall." I threw back at them slyly as I walked forward through the front gates. We went through the camp and I noticed dozens of men and women sharpening their tools, eating and practice fighting. Every one of them stopping to look at me as I passed. I looked back at Cullen briefly to see him remaining calm, but taking notice of all the people there were. _And he was planning to take them all on._ I turned back and stopped as the soldiers parted leading my eye straight to a rather large man roughly the size of Iron Bull with a large war hammer attached to his back. He turned and his eyes traveled to me and he looked around.

"Are you the new wench they brought me?" He asked with humor as his eyes looked around and then locked onto the Mercy Crest around my neck.

"Unfortunately for you, I am not." I responded sounding tougher than I probably looked at the moment. He straightened and chuckled as he looked around again.

"You must be a great warrior if you would think to take such a challenge." He returned with an interested look as he stepped down from the altar he was standing in front of. I looked down at my nails and grinned.

"I'm not half bad." I said and he boomed with laughter. Better to downplay myself and take him by surprise. He was incredibly big and his muscles rippled in the goatskin leathers he was wearing. Revealing his upper torso to me. He brought his hammer around and turned it in his hands. Dried blood still on his hammer as the man smiled at me.

"You see this weapon? The blood on this was spilt by men that were better than 'not half bad'." He replied as he walked a bit closer. I remained still as I grimaced at the blade in disgust.

"That's gross and extremely unsanitary to keep that blood on there." I admonished and heard Bull chuckle just behind me. The man looked to his hammer and then back at me.

"I like your spirit, pretty little one. I will give you one chance, you can surrender to me and be my personal wench, or you die like all the rest of the challengers." I shifted my weight and slid my daggers from their loops and held them in my hands as I grinned. Clicking my tongue I looked up at him defiantly.

"Damn…that's such a hard decision." I responded sassily as I strut forward my blades shining at my hips as I watched the man scowl and hold his hammer at the ready.

"Foolish choice." He muttered as he raised his hammer and brought it down towards me. I rolled to the side to miss the blow and bounded up. The large man pulled his hammer round again. I ducked and ran forward dragging my daggers along the exposed skin of his thigh. Barely being able to make a deep cut as he roared and flung his hand out. I dodged the blow just barely as I dropped to the ground and rolled away from his foot that was now coming down towards me. Bounding up again I looked towards his neck and saw a rough looking collar that connected to the thick straps crisscrossing his chest. I backed away before running forward as he brought his hammer down. Leaping onto his hammer I bounded off and my legs caught around his neck and I swung using my momentum to throw him off balance and released when he started falling to the left. I dropped onto the ground as he hit the ground heavily. I heard Blackwall cheering from the corner for me. The leader pulled himself onto his feet as I rushed him and brought his hammer up and I flipped over it, and brought my dagger down towards the leader's chest. When suddenly, I was hit and thrown backwards a sharp pain splintering across my ribs from the blow.

I rolled and bounded into a crouch and saw a man standing next to the leader, brandishing his own hammer. I grabbed at my ribs and heard Cullen shouting over Bull, Blackwall and the rest of the Chargers. The Leader stood and looked to the man and immediately snapped the man's neck. My eyes widened as the man fell to the ground dead. Sucking in a sharp breath and spun the daggers in my hands I got ready as he roared forward. His hammer raised as he made large strides down towards me. I waited till the last possible second and spun out of the way and sliced my dagger along his back. He jerked in pain and turned back to me abruptly changing his momentum and swung his large head almost brushing my nose. I pulled back up and saw the leader jerk his foot out and much to my surprise he tripped me. I fell to the ground and he brought his hammer down without hesitation. I felt my own eyes widen as I turned over onto my side, narrowly missing the attack yet again. I looked to the hammer with wide eyes as I turned back and wrapped my legs around the handle and kicked him away from it. I kipped up onto my feet as my hands undid my jacket. _I have an idea and just the toy for the job._ The bomb still sitting in my pants pocket, I grinned and shirked off my jacket and held it in my hand. The large man sneered and let out a brutish laugh.

"Undressing yourself for me? Interesting tactic, pretty little one." He mused and I nearly spat in disgust at him as he looked around to the men and women around. "Doing half the job for me!" He shouted as he laughed, but no one laughed with him. I growled in anger and ran forward. Leaping forward I threw at kick to his chin, my boot connecting, but hardly doing any damage. He growled and grabbed at me, and I saw my opening. I threw my jacket forward and swung around him making sure to keep the overcoat in place as I pulled the bomb from my pocket. Looking to it I pulled the pin with my teeth and heard a short click as I shoved it in between collar and his neck. I jumped from his body and rolled away feeling my ribs burn as I did. I turned and saw the man tearing my overcoat off of his face he threw it as he laughed. "Puny woman!" The large man spat as I backed away. _'You don't want to be anywhere near it'_ Rocky's warning played out in my mind _._ The man laughed at me as I backed away and suddenly the explosion went off. I held my arms over my face to block the explosion letting out a cry as the shockwave hit me. I didn't feel the heat of it or the debris though as I had expected. I cracked open an eye and saw a rift open directly in front of me like a shield. The men and women murmuring around me as I stared at it and then at my hand. It felt so _good._ This power surging through my palm, better than it's ever felt. In amazement I felt the pull of the Fade in my hand and I balled up my fist, and with a clap the rift closed. As it did, I saw what was left and I felt my jaw drop as I wheeled around to my companions who were staring in shock as well.

"Andraste's Flaming Ass Rocky! I had **that** in my pocket?!" I cried exasperatedly as I looked back at the obliterated leader then back at Rocky.

"What part of 'To kingdom come' didn't you understand?" He shot back with a laugh and I shook my head as I slid my daggers into their loops. _I know, but…Shit._ There was nothing barely left of the man except for some chunks of the man. _Gross._ A man walked up to me from the group of people surrounding me and handed me a Crest.

"You are our Leader now, my Lady." He said and bowed down before me as everyone else did around me. I grimaced and raised him up again motioning for everyone to do so as well.

"Uh, none of that bowing stuff please." I said and he looked around and nodded and looked to the flaming pieces of the older leader.

"What will you have us do, My Lady?" He asked and I smiled and stood straight.

"As of right now, The Blades of Hesserian are a part of the Inquisition. You will remain here and help out the Inquisition in any way possible. As well as, keeping the Storm Coast protected from any enemies to the Inquisition." He nodded and placed his hand to his chest and the others followed. "I will also expect reports of the status of the Storm Coast every once in a while." I added as I looked over from them to my companions who all had wide, stunned smiles on their faces. I grinned as I walked over, my ribs stinging in pain as I did so. Bull laughed and held his hand out and I clapped it above my hand with a wide smile.

"Now that is what I am talking about!" He yelled excitedly and I felt Blackwall's hand clap my back with excitement sending pain jolting through my ribs.

"You did it! Maker's Balls that was the greatest fight I've ever watched! When you stuffed that bomb-That was incredible!" He yelled as we strode from the Blade of Hesserian's camp. I looked through the group, but didn't see Cullen when suddenly I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned my head and saw Cullen holding my overcoat open.

"You dropped this." He explained. I stared for a moment before pushing my arm through the left sleeve and he held it as I pushed my right arm in. I clipped it shut and looked over my shoulder and smiled at him.

"Thank you." I whispered as he moved beside me, but his eyes fell down to my arm where the arrow had nicked me and lightly touched it.

"Anytime" He replied with a charming smile. I felt my heart beat nearly out of my chest as his fingers lingered on my arm sending flames through my veins. I felt a blush stain my cheeks as I stared up at him, his smile only growing a bit wider when he saw my reaction. _Was he no longer mad at me? Why was he smiling at me like that?_

"You two coming or not!? I'll start the celebration without you!" Bull yelled and I quickly pulled myself together and cleared my throat. Looking towards Bull I felt an awkward laugh bubble up through my throat and I looked briefly to Cullen.

"I…We should…you know…go. I hear there are drinks…" I stuttered and heard him chuckle at me and turn to leave.

"Are you alright, Lady Protector? You look flushed." He commented with a laugh and I glared at him, letting out a mock laugh.

"Oh, you've got jokes. That's fun." I grumbled as he laughed again. We strode down the hill to catch up with Blackwall, Bull and his Chargers as they made for the rocky beach. The sun showing the day was coming to an end.


	11. Chapter 11

" _Leliana,_

 _I have acquired the Bull's Chargers and the Iron Bull himself. They will fight along with the Inquisition as will a group of bandits local to the Storm Coast called The Blades of Hesserian. I regret to inform you though that we did lose some agents of the Inquisition. A scouting group that went to confront the group. Their_ _ **former**_ _leader ordered their deaths, but I took care of it. We will be heading back to Haven at dawn and should arrive there sometime in the late afternoon. I am happy to report that everything is going decently well besides losing my horse and Cullen's shoulder being injured. A few close calls, but no one died, so I'll call that a success. Also, I am leaving Blackwall's interrogation up to you, but from what he told me when we first me; he knows very little about the Wardens mysterious disappearances. Until tomorrow, Lady Nightingale._

 _-Quinn."_

Looking over the parchment I smiled to myself and blew over it making sure the ink was dry. Looking away from the letter I leant my head against the tent walls. Bull's story about a busty red haired bar maiden named Matilda that _thanked_ him many times for saving her business seeping through the tent's cloth walls. I chuckled to myself at the absurd story as I relaxed. Blackwall's laugh accompanied the groans of the Chargers who I imagine, had heard that same story told many times over. Smirking to myself I closed my eyes blocking out the sound of their voices and focused on my breathing. Something steady to take me away from the moment. Leliana was the first one to show me the importance of meditating. _'It keeps me from fretting.'_ She'd told me, the thought making me smile. _Like Leliana could 'fret'._ The woman wasn't carefree, but she certainly didn't worry about much or at least that she let on. I placed my hands gently on my legs and slowed my heart rate as well as my breathing. The air around me calm as I ran over the details of the day. My thoughts traveled to the former leader of the Blades of Hesserian and almost instinctively my palm brushed against the bruise. Blackwall had fussed over it, practically forcing me to ask one of Bulls' party for some salve. Stitches I believe his names was, I'm guessing their part-time healer, fixed me up decently well. The bandage he'd wrapped around my waist keeping the sticky liquid in place so it could heal the bruised skin. My thoughts however strayed again to my present that was waiting for me in Haven. _I wonder what she got me. I bet it is shoes, or maybe a new weapon or an ornate handle…_ I smiled to myself as my thoughts went from one idea to the other of what her gift could possibly be- The tent opened and I saw Cullen jolt to a stop when he saw me sitting inside. I jumped as well looking at up at him before looking around me, remembering that I was in his tent. He looked from me to the fire where Bull and the others were singing quite loudly. The alcohol in their systems showing its' effect as their voices echoed against the rocky walls.

"It was loud, and I needed to write this letter to Leliana." I explained and he chuckled as he ducked into the tent. I looked him over as he moved into the tent and towards his pack in the corner. He'd been gone for quite a long time. Nearly two hours. I'd wanted to go look for him, but Bull told me not to. Said if he wanted to be alone I should let him. "I hope you don't mind I borrowed your writings things again. Mine are still not present." I added, sounding a bit unsure as he sat down and relaxed against a post in the back of the tent. He smiled in my direction, his scar pulling up his face as he waved his nonchalantly.

"Quite alright, Lady Protector." He reassured as he pulled papers from his pack. I lifted an eyebrow towards him as I noticed how thick the stack was.

"What in Andraste's name are those?" I asked as I gawked at the stack of papers. He pulled off his gloved and licked his thumb as he pulled the first sheet up and read over it.

"Status and Scouting Reports. Requisitions. Complaints." He responded as he looked over the first paper. I set his writing things next to him, but he didn't seem to notice.

"I can go…if you want…" I said and he looked up at me and shook his head.

"No, it's quite alright if you stay." He said as he looked up briefly. "I like the company." He added with a friendly smile. I nodded back and leant against the tent slightly.

"Anything interesting?" I asked and he looked up at me, his golden eyes glowing in the candlelight as he placed a report down on the ground after signing it.

"Most of the time, no. But, sometimes I get some interesting ones." He replied with a faint smirk tipping his lips as he looked back down at his reports.

"Like what?" I asked and he chuckled as he lifted a page and scribbled something down. He looked back up at me with the same smirk on his lips.

"Well I received a report recently from someone named 'Quinn and her merry band of misfit heroes'. That report was fairly interesting." He replied and I laughed.

"You read my report?" I asked as I sat up, folding my legs crisscross to give him my full attention. I watched him as his head bobbed, a snort of laughter accompanying the motion. "Judging by your response it was either a really bad 'interesting' or a really good one." I added cheekily and saw the smile erupt over his lips.

"It was a good interesting. Accurate on most accounts." He critiqued making my smirk widen.

"Even the part about Cassandra?" I asked and he lifted his eyes towards me with a reprimanding look. Like he was scorning a small child.

"You should not say such things about her. She is a good person when you get to know her." He replied and I rolled my eyes as I folded my arms. Biting back the retort I simply looked away with a small smile.

"Oh, I've known her for some time now. Met her when I started working under Leliana. I'm surprised she never mentioned it to be honest." I responded, noticing him put the papers down for a moment as he looked up at me with intrigue.

"Really? You worked with the Divine?" He asked, the intrigue and shock in his voice. Only slightly offended by the shock, my head bobbed, and a small smile coming to my lips upon thinking of Divine Justinia.

"Yes, for 2 years. I didn't see her all too often. Not like Leliana and Cassandra did, but she's the one who found me…saved me. I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for her." I replied in a finite way, not wanting to press too much into my past, but realized that was a lost cause when he leant forward. The intrigue in his eyes only growing as his papers and quill lay forgotten next to him.

"What do you mean 'saved you'?" He asked, his question forcing a grimace to my lips that I tried desperately to hide. My hand went to my necklace, my thumb rubbing over the jewel encrusted bird. Would he look at me the same if he knew that I was once a lowly thief? Stealing money and food to get by? Or would he look at me the same way Cassandra had? With disdain and distrust. _Maybe he would…But there's no way of telling unless I put a little faith in him, right?_ He abruptly looked very awkward as he sat in his corner of the tent, staring at me with interest. He rubbed the back of his neck and looked away.

"I-Forgive me, My Lady…if you don't wish to-"

"I…was stealing from her." I blurted out slowly, watching as the shock slowly formed over his face. His hand stopping on the back of his neck as his eyes widened.

"You were stealing? From the Divine?" He stumbled over his words and I cringed at his slightly judgmental tone that was only diminished by his shock. _This was probably a bad idea, but it was too late now._ Nodding I pulled my eyes from his already regretting my decision based on the look he was giving me. _Why did I care what he thought of me?_ I asked myself. I hadn't ever cared. Not with Leliana or Varric or Cassandra. No one, but he was different…very different from the rest.

"Yeah…" I muttered before pulling my eyes back to his. "I was alone. I'd steal food and money from people who had enough of it. But, that stuff only gets you so far. I needed something that would set me up for a while so I could stop running. Maybe even pay back some of the people who'd helped me and expected nothing in return. I heard of this jewel that was just recently placed in the Divine's Treasury. It would be more than enough. I could pay off my debts and keep myself alive for a while longer." I revealed slowly, taking even breaths. I thought I was going to have a panic attack at just giving away my secrets. Only Leliana and unfortunately Cassandra knew the story, but for some reason I wanted Cullen to trust me. And in order for him to he had to know something about my past… "So, I snuck into the Treasury no problem. The guards were on a very predictable shift, one of the first things I pointed out when I started working for her. Plus, no one really expected someone to climb in through the roof. The jewel was right there. I took it and was about to get out clean when the Divine herself walked in." I chanced a glance at Cullen and saw only the same look of intrigue and a bit of suspense in his amber eyes.

"What did she do?" He asked me urgently making a broad grin split my lips.

"She told me this story about the rock and the peddler." I said and he lifted an eye brow as if he'd never heard it. "There was a peddler who bought an ordinary rock off a gem merchant in a town. The peddler would take care of it, polish it like it were a priceless gem. One day this boy came along and asked the Peddler about the ordinary looking rock. He handed the boy the rock explaining that he didn't think it was just any rock and the boy drops it. Inside the rock was the most extraordinary gem they'd ever seen in their lives." I recited with a wide smile remembering the way her wise eyes shone as she finished her fable.

"The gem you were stealing…was that the gem…?" He asked, his words drifting off as he lifted an eye brow at me. I laughed, a happy smile spreading across my lips as I looked over at him.

"That's exactly what I thought it was, but no. Thankfully, it was just a story. The point of her telling me that story was so that she could explain that she thought I had potential. Said she knew a lost soul when she saw one, and man was she right." I replied with a bitter laugh, thinking about all the awful things I'd done just to stay alive. All the people I'd relied on, all the misdeeds and ill-judgements I couldn't take back. I leant my head against the tent wall feeling a stinging sensation in my eyes. Swallowing the emotion that clogged my throat I plastered a calm smile to my lips. "She felt that the Maker put me in her path to do his work. So, she gave me a choice. I could take the gem and she would let me go, no strings. Or I could come and work for her. Obviously, I picked working for her, and that's when I met Leliana and…Cassandra." I said as I looked back up at the ceiling of the tent. "She was an amazing person." I finished and my head tilted over towards him and saw a sad smile on his lips.

"I never had the pleasure of knowing her." He replied and I snorted with laughter,

"Oh, Cullen you missed out. She could tell you these deep, beautiful, prophetic things about yourself that you didn't even know. Ask questions that shook you to your core and made you question everything you believed in. Things you'd never told her she'd just know without actually stating the facts, but it was enough that you knew she knew. Then, she could tell you all the potential you had inside of you like she could peek into your soul. Everything you could accomplish, and you wanted to believe it so much. Wanted to become everything she said you could be. She gave me purpose again, and for someone as lost as I was…that was everything." I sighed as I looked straight ahead of me and heard him shuffling around before I felt a hand on mine in a friendly gesture. I looked over at him and saw a comforting spread across his lips.

"It sounds like she was something very special to you." He whispered and I nodded taking a heavy breath. _Why do I feel like I've said far too much?_

"She is…was." I corrected as I looked into his whiskey eyes that seemed to warm my insides. I nearly sighed when I didn't see an ounce of judgement or pity in his eyes. _She would've liked him._ Shaking my head I tried to rid myself of the thoughts of her. I'd done so well keeping my mind off of her. Off of the sorrow I felt. Preoccupying myself with the Herald and missions, but now that Cullen was asking me about it…it was all coming forth. _Is this what Leli is feeling?_ Sadness clenched at my heart for my friend and for Divine Justinia. I pulled my hand abruptly from his and cleared my throat as I looked around at the papers. _I needed to distract myself._ "So, paperwork. Need any help with it?" I asked and he looked around as he leant back and away from me. His hands picking up half the stack and handing it towards me.

"Are you sure? I'd hate for you to be bored." He jested, my smile mirroring his.I snatched the papers from him and stuck my tongue out in direction. He scooched over and patted the spot next to him. I moved into the spot as he showed me where to place the different papers. "If it is a requisition notice, put it here so I can sign it." He said, making a smile come to my lips as I grabbed the papers and a quill.

"Or I could sign it for you." I replied earning an odd look from him.

"As in forge my signature? No." He said adamantly. Stopping my eyes from rolling again, I limited myself to a simple eye brow raise.

"Why not? Afraid my penmanship is better than yours?" I asked with a sly smirk. He held up a paper he'd just signed before placing it in a pile near my leg.

"No…because if they think someone forged my signature they'll throw out the papers and that's more paperwork for me." He replied as he looked back down and I grinned and took the paper from him and inspected his signature. He actually had very nice handwriting for a guy. My Father used to simply sign things with the first letters of his first and last name and then squiggly lines for the rest of the letters.

"You have very nice hand writing, you know that?" I asked him, noticing the faint blush that crept up his neck as he stared intently down at the paper in his hands.

"I…thank you." He responded, never once looking up at me.

"But, I could totally forge this. I've forged documents for the Orlesian Court. I'm a master." I replied with a smirk as I took a sheet of parchment and replicated his signature. He raised his head and chuckled as he shot me an unbelieving look. "Do you not believe me? Want to bet on it?" I asked and he grinned and nodded,

"I'll take that bet." He agreed and once he had said it I passed him my replica of his signature and he grabbed it and stared it wide eyed. He grabbed the paper he'd just signed and compared it to mine. He dropped both papers and rubbed the back of his neck. He eyes flicking to me as I grinned back smugly. "I stand corrected. Fine, just tell me what you're signing before you do." He responded. I nodded, sending him a two finger salute.

"Aye, Aye Commander, sir." I teased as I picked up another document. After several documents later, the candle burning down low as the stacks grew higher. I smirked down at one of the requisition requests personally sent by Cassandra for better swords for the soldiers. "Hey wait! I won the bet. I get something in return!" I proclaimed louder than I had intended to. Cullen jumped and looked over at me in confusion as I thought over what I'd like to receive before a smirk came to my lips. "I know, I get to sign on of your reports as 'Commander Shiny Boots'." I declared and saw him shoot me a disapproving look.

"No." He replied and I huffed leaning my chin against my knuckles.

"Alright, fine. Then I get to sign it, 'Commander Quinn Thedran, Best Commander in the history of Thedas.'" I replied and saw a smirk come across his lips as he continued to read over the papers.

"No, Quinn." He replied again, this time with a hint of laughter in his tone.

"You're really putting me in a box here, Cullen." I responded and he laughed at me before signing a paper and placing it in the Complaints section. "Alright, what if I just signed it "'Thedran, Quinn Thedran.'" I asked and he looked at me peculiarly,

"Why would you write your last name twice?" He asked and I shrugged,

"I don't know…it sounded cool in my head." I replied with a laugh and heard him snort with laughter next to me. "Alright, tell you what. I'll sign your name perfectly like you want, but in teensy, tiny subscript at the very bottom I get to put 'Quinn rules, Cassandra drools.'" I said and crossed my arms over my chest with a wide grin. He lifted an eye brow in my direction as a humored smile twitched at his lips. That sexy scar twitching slight. "I think those are pretty fair conditions, I did win the bet after all." I pointed out, hearing a hearty laugh spring from his lips before shooting me a mock look of disapproval and looking down at the paper in my hands.

"Fine. How tiny is 'teensy, tiny'?" He asked making a smirk come to my lips as I brought the feathery end of the quill to his nose.

"No one will even notice it." I reassured deviously. _But, I'll know._

* * *

I woke slowly, my eyes crackling open as I saw Cullen's tent come into view around me. My head leaning against something soft yet firm as my eyes focused. I lifted my head from the thin bed roll and looked around the tent taking notice instantly that Cullen was no longer there. I sat up further and watched as a blanket slipped from my shoulders to pool around my waist. I stretched my arms out wide and groaned as the bones popped in my back and warmed my joints. As silently as possible I left the tent and walked out onto beach not wanting to wake any of my companions just yet, but also wondering where Cullen had gone off to. Looking over to where there was once a raging fire with men drinking merrily around iit , it was now reduced to embers. Tankards lying forgotten on stones and boulders probably filled my ale still. Pulling my eyes towards the ocean, I couldn't help but smile at the sereneness of the world as the waves crashed lightly across the beach. The water leaving trails of where the ocean had receded back into itself. I pulled my hair from its pony tail and allowed it to sway in the morning salty wind. I went over to a formation of rocks that rose about 3 feet above the water and paused. On top of the rock was Cullen sitting in his linen shirt and dark brown pants. His slightly curling hair rustling in the quiet wind and ocean spray. He was working on something in his hands, his head bowed in concentration. I smiled to myself as I walked a bit closer.

"Early riser, huh?" I asked and saw his head shoot up immediately before turning to me. A breathtaking smile accompanied by a small blush appeared on his face as he did so.

"I couldn't resist. I've heard the sunrise over the ocean is magnificent." Cullen responded as he scooched over a bit. "Care to join me?" He asked, making a toothy smile part my lips.

"I don't know…the view from here is pretty magnificent as well." I teased as I stared kicking off my boots. A blush rose to his ears as he muttered,

"Maker's Breath." I giggled to myself as I climbed up the rock with ease and sat next to him. "You enjoy embarrassing me don't you?" He asked, the smile pulling at his lips showing me he wasn't truly upset with me.

"Perhaps…" I grinned, "Or maybe I like flirting with you. Ever thought of that?" I asked and his eyes connected with mine for a moment before he looked away, the blush coating his cheeks in red. For him I pretended not to notice as I pulled my attention to the back to the ocean. We were silent after that as the waves crashed gently against the rock beneath us. The sun just starting to lighten the sky, but not visible. We still had a while to sit here.

"Thank you, Quinn." He said, abruptly breaking the silence between us. I turned my head towards him, confusion in my eyes as I watched him run a hand along the back of his neck.

"For what?" I asked and he smiled, keeping his eyes trained on the ocean before us.

"Iron Bull told me why you were putting yourself in all the dangerous situations that you did. I didn't realize…that you were doing it for me. And I apologize for arguing with you and saying the things I did. It was unworthy of me." He explained with an apologetic smile in my direction. I felt a bubble of happiness swell inside my heart from his words. It was my turn to blush now as his bright whiskey eyes locked onto my own. "But, thank you for watching after me when I wasn't doing it for myself." He added as he looked back out at the ocean waves rolling in a bit higher than before. The ocean water spraying us gently.

"Well, someone has to protect you." I responded and his face lit up with a smile.

"You enjoy being ironic, don't you?" He asked making me lift my eye brow waiting for him to explain. "I came along on this mission to protect you, but you ended up protecting me." He said with a chuckle. I chuckled with him and tucked stray hairs behind my ears.

"Just living up to my title." I responded and heard him grunt in affirmation.

"That you are." He agreed as he looked from me to horizon. We sat there in silence again, his hand running over something between his thumb and forefinger before he turned to me again. "Uh…I also found something, and I thought you might like it…" He added, making my eyes widen. _He's just full of surprises, isn't he?_ "It _was_ your Name Day, yesterday, and I also wanted a way to truly thank you for what you did…" He kept on as he pulled my hand out and placed something smoothing in my hand. He removed his hand from mine as I peered down at the present. It was a smooth pearl with a string running through it about the size of my wrist. I couldn't speak, I was too stunned at the beautiful gift he'd just given me. It was beautiful, and I'd never been given such a gift before. So simple and beautiful…like him… "I know it isn't much…I found that last night just up the beach." He finished as his eyes stared down at me awkwardly. I looked from the pearl bracelet to him, smiling in amazement.

"Cullen, it's beautiful." I whispered in awe and saw a blush creep up his neck again. "I love it." I added as I returned by gaze back to the bracelet before holding it up to him. "Do you mind?" I asked and his hands slowly worked at the strings of the bracelet to tie it around my wrist. A smile lighting my face as I looked it over looked, the beautiful round pearl sparkling in the pale moonlight. I dropped my hand still so surprised at the gift and looked over at him awe stricken. "Thank you, Cullen. This is one of the best gifts I've ever received." I said with a smile and brought my lips to his cheek. His eyes went slightly wider than they were and his hand touched the spot where my lips had touched his light facial hair. He looked back to me, his golden eyes almost glowing in the pale moonlight around us.

"You're welcome." He whispered, sounding very distant, but so close. Beside me, my hand suddenly flared up, making my eyes fall on it in confusion. It went away as quickly as it came, but it was enough for Cullen to catch notice as well. I shrugged at him as he shared my look of confusion. I gently placed my head on his shoulder waiting for him to move or stutter, but he did none of those things. Instead he dipped his shoulder a bit so I could be more comfortable. I smiled lightly to myself as the water splashed past our feet. I felt relaxed with him…I think I was starting to like him... A lot, and that was dangerous, but at this moment I didn't care. My mind was yelling at me to move, but if I did it would ruin the moment, and I didn't have another day with him alone. We sat like that for a while longer before I heard rustling back at the camp. "Sounds like our companions are up." He said as he looked over his shoulder. I picked my head up and looked with him back at the camp.

"Guess that's our cue." I sighed as I stood with him and hopped off rock formation, him following suit. I grinned at him and nodded my head towards the camp. "Think we should sing as loud as they were last night? Or would that be too evil?" I asked as I watched a few of them stumble from their tents grabbing at their foreheads in pain. Looking back at him I saw him squeezing his thumb and forefinger together.

"Just a tad bit evil." He replied with a short laugh as he pulled on his boots. I did the same and we walked back towards the camp and packed up. Blackwall trudged out of his tent and looked over towards us. I grinned and waved at him, but notice the grimace on his face as well as the greenish tint to the parts that were visible.

"Why are you two so chipper this morning?" He grumbled as he scratched at his beard and I chuckled at him.

"Because we weren't up drinking hooch till the wee hours of the morning." I fired back with a smirk. He swatted his hand at us as he moved through the camp, his hand resting over his mouth as he burped.

"Felt good at the moment." He grumbled back and suddenly made for the ocean, turning a bit green in the face. I grimaced before a laugh bubbled up through my throat.

"Ooh…and we have a long trip today." I grimaced mostly to myself as Cullen came to my side fully dressed in armor and his large pack on his shoulder. "That is going to be hell for them." I added as I watched the Bull's Chargers and Iron Bull himself scuffling their feet along the ground. Their hands raised over their eyes in the dim light of the rising sun.

"Yup." Cullen agreed as he readjusted the pack on his shoulder. "Now you see why I don't get drunk." He added as he looked over the men as most ran for the ocean to barf up the poison from last night.

"Ew." I commented, disgusted at the sounds of the men vomiting the entirety of their stomachs into the ocean. "Now that I think about it, it's going to be hell for us too if we have to listen to that all day."

"Yup." He agreed once more.  
_

We bobbed down the road. Me sitting on the back of Cullen's saddle as we made our way back to Haven. We'd stopped a couple of times, but not for long and we were approaching the Hinterlands again. I'd sent the letter to Leliana from last night as soon as we made it through the outpost camp, but that was hours ago. I didn't really expect a reply, but I also wanted something to occupy my mind so that I didn't die of boredom. It was hard to try and constantly stay aware of everything when you have 8 hung over warriors recuperating on a 12 hour horse ride. Not to mention Cullen's words constantly distracting me as I thought over the moments of last night and this morning. A broad smile came to my lips as I looked down at my wrist, when suddenly my hand flashed up on Cullen's side again. I stared in confusion. For the first time it didn't burn when it was just a flash. Cullen noticed as well and his gloved hand grabbed it gently. He looked at me over his shoulder.

"What's wrong?" He asked and I shook my head, looking around in confusion.

"I don't know…" I responded as I looked down at the green sparkling palm as the light died out and returned to its normal scarred form. "That was weird…" I admitted as he released my palm and looked around again. "You don't think there's a rift around, do you? I know the Herald's hand sparks up around them." I explained and he looked around, his eyes raking through the trees for anything that resembled a rift, but saw nothing. I exhaled heavily, but that only presented another question. Why had my hand flared up?

"It did that this morning too." He pointed out and I nodded as I continued to stare at it.

"Yeah…maybe's it's defective." I answered with a small smile and saw him nod as we continued to bob along the road. We'd been traveling for around 8 hours and I was starting to-

"Hey Boss. Can we stop for a moment? We need to take a break really quick." Bull called up and I nodded as I tapped Cullen's shoulder. _Thank the Maker._

"Yeah, we can stop." I called back and Cullen pulled the horse off the main road as the Bull's Chargers followed. Cullen hopped off his horse first and unexpectedly his hands moved up towards me as I hopped off as well. Holding my waist he helped me onto the ground. I thanked him quietly keeping the blush from my cheeks as I stretched out my arms and popped my back. Long horse rides were the worst.

"You alright, My Lady?" Blackwall asked from behind me and I turned to him and nodded.

"Quite so, just trying to stretch everything out before I have to get back on the horse." I replied with a smile in his direction. "You?" I returned and he nodded as he leant against a tree and popped his ankle.

"A bit of a headache, but the hang over is receding thankfully." He replied as he pulled a stalk of elf root from his pocket that was already gnarled by his teeth.

"I'm glad. You lot looked quite miserable this morning." He nodded as he lifted both eye brows on his forehead. "But, Bull's stories alone could make my stomach flip." I teased as Bull walked up. Both men laughed heartily as Bull brought his hand down and smacked Blackwall's back.

"You should've heard his stories! Like the Antivan woman who could lift her ass while-"

"That's not something to discuss in front of a lady, Iron Bull." Blackwall interrupted and Bull frowned in his direction, before looking to me with a smirk.

"Boss isn't a lady! She's a warrior!" Bull retorted with a laugh. I laughed along with him.

"Oh? Can't I be both?" I asked coy humor dripping from my words like honey as Bull pulled his fist up to his broad chin in contemplation. Blackwall looked in between us and snickered quietly to himself. Cullen strode up next to us and Bull looked to him with a fiendish look.

"What do you think, Commander? Is Boss a lady, or a warrior?" He asked and Cullen looked between us in confusion as his arms settled over his chest.

"I'd say she's both." He concluded with a nod towards me. I grinned in triumph as I turned my head back to Bull.

"Ha! See? The Commander agrees with me. Obviously I win." I jested, and laughed as Bull grumbled something under his breath. Cullen turned towards me fully, pulling my attention from Bull's form."Time to go?" I asked, seeing the look he was giving me. He nodded in response as he turned back to the horse standing by the trees. I looked to my other 8 companions and smiled. "Time to pack up, everyone." They all groaned, but saddled up anyway. I looked back to Cullen who was bringing his horse round. Grinning to myself, I leapt up onto the saddle in the front and grabbed the reins. He looked at me in shock as I peered down at him. "I'm driving." I announced, hearing him chuckle as I held my hand out for him. We locked wrists and hoisted him up onto the horse. Once he was settled in we were off again. I whipped the reins and laughed as he wrapped his arms around my waist. He huffed in my ear as the wind blew past us. "Hold on, Commander wouldn't want you to fall off." I called out and he encircled my waist a bit more moving closer. I was a bit shocked at his boldness as he chuckled in my ear.

"You learned that from Blackwall, didn't you?" I nodded with a laugh and whipped the reins again. At the rate we were going now we'd get back not so in late afternoon. Perhaps around 7:00… When we finally arrived in Haven I couldn't have been happier, my ass was seriously starting to hurt from constantly bobbing in the seat. The people of Haven greeted us with cheers and whistles as I pulled the horse towards the stables. The trip had taken longer than expected, but I took notice the Herald's horse was not in its stable. _So they weren't back yet…_ I pulled the horse into the stables and felt Cullen shift behind me. I was going to miss this time with Cullen…I probably was never going to get to go on another mission with him. Even though I was pissed about it in the beginning…I'd come to really like him, and having him along. When I stopped the horse the Commander behind me hopped off with the grace of a cat and helped me down again. I smirked as I landed in front of him.

"You know I'm going to miss having you on missions." I admitted, watching as his lips twisted into a bemused smile.

"Oh will you? You changed your mind rather fast." He shot back with a grin as I pulled his horse into a stall. _It wasn't that fast…three days was not fast at all._ Smirking I tilted my head up towards him.

"What can I say? You charmed me, Commander and there's only so much a girl can resist." I flirted, his blush appearing on his cheeks before his hand brushed against the back of his neck. I turned back to him and gave him a brilliant smile. "In all seriousness, if you ever want to sneak away from your paperwork and training routines, I wouldn't completely mind if you accompanied me on some missions." I added and saw his own breathtaking, genuine smile came across his lips as he looked down at me.

"I'd like that…" He replied slowly as he moved forward a fraction of a step. "Quinn I-"

"My Lady Protector! Commander!" I jumped at the suddenness of the scout's appearance and looked over at him, pulling my eyes from Cullen.

"Yes?" We asked in unison and saw the serious look on the small elven woman's face.

"Sister Leliana needs to speak with you." She said and I looked back up to Cullen as he looked back at me.

"Is Leliana alright?" I asked warily. A strange sensation gripping at my heart. Cullen tensed next to me only making the sensation spread.

"Please my lady, come with me." She said, turning around and motioning for us to follow her. I wasn't sure as to what was going on, but if Leli was in trouble…Maker please don't let her be hurt. We walked quickly up to the Chantry, looking as calm as possible. The elven woman led us all the way into the back room where the War table was and the scout opened the door for us. Cullen and I filed in and looked to Leliana who was thankfully leaning against the wall staring at something on the table. Her eyes moved quickly from the box to me and I took notice of the sympathy mixed with dread in her green orbs. Almost immediately I knew something was terribly wrong.

"Leli….what's wrong? You have that look in your eyes. Like when my favorite nug passed away…only worse." I explained, trying to ease the tension. Hoping that I was wrong, that everything was fine and I'd read the room wrong. My feet however, stepped forward away from Cullen slowly, pensively. The mysterious box in the room dragging my attention from her.

"My friend…there was a man who was captured after placing this in your cabin while you were gone. It was last night…" _On my Name Day…_ "We don't know how he got into the camp, but one of my scouts spotted a man with raven hair and blue eyes exiting your cabin... we captured him and placed him in the cells." She explained as her cautious eyes moved to the box again and I felt ice grip at my heart. A man with raven hair and blue eyes…it can't be… She looked upset and it was not a look I saw often, something about this box was really worrying with her.

"Leliana what is in that box?" I asked equally as cautious, I had no idea what it could be. My mind immediately flying to the Herald and I cringed. She looked to me and then down at the box again. Part of me truly hoped this was some ploy for her to give me a remarkable gift, but that wasn't like Leliana. She hated surprises as much as I did. I could feel Cullen's stare on me as he moved forward as well gripping the pommel of his sword, possibly from all the tension in the room.

"I'm so sorry, my friend." She whispered as I took the beautifully decorated box and slid it towards me on the table. It had already been opened, and I that's what terrified me. Leli knew what was in this box and she'd apologized. It was bad. This was bad. I opened the box and felt my heart jar in my chest at the sight before me. A ring finger was sitting inside the box frozen to keep it preserved with a letter placed next to it which was also opened. I slowly reached in and took the letter opening it to read only a few words scrawled in red ink. No, not red ink. Blood. The metallic scent wafting into my nose as the air touched the page.

" _This was your choice. Happy Name Day, Quinn."_

"Maker's Breath…" Cullen whispered as he looked into the box. I shook my head, my eyes wide as I looked down at the finger again. I gently turned the finger and felt a strangled cry catch in my throat as I recognized the ring immediately. My Father's ring. My Father's finger. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't move. My head spinning, the sounds around me becoming distorted. _My Father's dead…_ And it was my fault. I killed him. My ignorance and pride killed him. My breath started to come in short, erratic pants as my heart tried to keep up with the rage that pumped through my veins. My hand next to me flaring madly sending shrills of fire up the muscles of my arm, but I didn't care. I hardly felt it. I wanted to kill. My vision only blurring as I imagined ripping out the person's throat who did this. I looked from the box to Leliana who was looking at me with a bit of shock in her eyes and for the first time in my life I saw her watching me with a twinge of fear. My hand was sparking and jumping from my palm as quiet rage pumped with my blood making my body feel as if it were on fire and frozen at the same time. I saw Cullen flinch next to me as Leliana made her way around the table to me and gripped my shoulders. _The cells._

"My friend, think about this before you go down there-"She tried to finish, but I was already out the door. On the outside I probably looked calm. All except for my palm engulfed in sparking green power from the Fade. _It couldn't be him. He was dead…I had to see. I had to know for sure._ I jogged down the stairs with Cullen and Leliana right on my heels. "Quinn wait-" She cried, but it died on her lips as we all stepped into large cell and my eyes widened in shock, my hand flying to my lips as I looked around. My heart nearly stuttering to a stop.

Lying in the floor were bodies of the Inquisition soldiers that used to be guarding the prisoner. Their bodies spaced out evenly in the shape of a star. Their blood drawing lines to connect the corners of the star inside of the circle. Upon closer inspection, I noticed each of their bodies were laid as if they were ready to be buried. Their helmets off, their eyes closed and their hands folded over clutching something yellow. My heart pounded in my ears as I stared down at them. _Maker please no…_ I pushed a guards hand out of the way and froze in place. _A Sun Ray…_ I felt my hand tremble at the sight and I gasped backing away. _No…it can't be! It can't!_ Just ahead in the center of the star I saw a vase with more of the flowers placed inside, but instead of water, blood filled its glass form. My eyes were wide as I stepped forward into the circle to the vase of flowers and underneath my foot the blood lit up an unnatural color and flames shot burst from the ground surrounding me in the circle. I turned to Cullen and Leliana my eyes wide with shock and confusion, noticing both were just outside the flames. I heard Cullen cry out for me, but it was drowned out by a cold laugh.

"There you are, my darling Sparrow." A voice purred from behind me. My heart stalled in my chest as panic set in. I didn't need to turn to know who it was. My heart started beating too fast in my chest, ramming up against my ribs like a bird desperately attempting to be freed from its cage. My mind running over one name, a name I knew too well. Every bone in my body screamed and ached to flee. But, I was frozen in the center of the circle of fire. Trapped. _This can't be real._ I closed my eyes silently praying that it was just a nightmare. A hand came to my waist and I jolted turning towards the figure. His electric blue eyes glimmering in the fire that surrounded us, his lips spreading into a wicked grin. "What's wrong, my love? You look like you've seen a ghost." He commented sardonically and I heard his name drop from my lips in nothing more than a fearful whisper.

"Tayen…"


	12. Chapter 12

Hey there everyone! I apologize for the insanely long time it took me to upload this. But, thank you to everyone who is reading this because that means that you aren't completely fed up with me! So thanks so much to all you lovely people and I hope you enjoy Chapter 12!

-Batcat1020

* * *

My heart beat erratically in my chest as I watched Tayen saunter towards me. _How can he be here? This can't be real._ I backed away as far as I could, shock and fear twisting my stomach painfully. Ice spread through my veins, twisting through every limb making me feel stiff and vulnerable. In response, my hands defensively shot to my daggers. I flung them from their sheaths and extended them towards him, but he didn't flinch. My hand shook like a leaf in the wind, my fear and confusion becoming very apparent to everyone.

"Stay back!" I growled, or at least attempted to. Instead of the menacing sound I was going for, my voice came out weak and terrified. I cringed as Tayen smiled brighter at the sound of it and tilted to his head to me. His blue eyes had this unnatural, predator-like spark in them, something dead and dangerous yet alive.

"Are you afraid, my dear?" He asked with a twinge of excitement as I gnashed my teeth together. My fear battling the anger I felt at myself for seeming so weak. He suddenly moved like smoke and appeared right in front of me. _He is just a ghost. A figment of the Fade. He's not real._

"I do not fear ghosts." I hissed as I whipped my blades out, but instead of going right through him like I expected he caught my wrist. I stared wide-eyed as his fingers laced around my thin wrist. His smile grew malicious as he bared his teeth at me.

"Oh, my darling Sparrow, I'm no ghost." He responded as he looked to my now shaking wrist. _Maker, what is this? A nightmare?_ "You're shaking." He pointed out as he released my wrist. I quickly pulled away from him and slid into a casual standing position. I needed to relax, clear my mind and focus. I had to ask questions. Running about like a scared little hen would get me nowhere.

"How are you here?" I asked, ignoring his observation still trying to swallow my fear. He smiled cruelly and looked thoughtfully down at the daggers clutched in my hands. His finger went to his chin and he tapped it thoughtfully as he began pacing in front of me moving in and out of his form of smoke every once in a while.

"Tell me Quinn. Do you know what happens to a soul when it's trapped in the Fade? What happens to them when they are forced to watch their death for years?" He asked with a tilt of his head, ignoring my question. I shook my head as I backed away from him, pulling my wrist from his clutches. My heart dropped into my stomach at his words, _Maker this can't be real._

"Stop it." I begged weakly. I didn't want to know, I already felt guilty enough. I was suddenly grabbed and dragged back towards him.

"I wandered around lost and alone, reliving the last moments of the life over and over again. Driving myself mad _because of you_!" He hissed as he grabbed me by my cheeks and dragged me towards him. Carefully, I turned the daggers over in my hand to strike.

"Tayen…please stop." I pleaded as I backed away from him. He advanced on me as I felt my hand touch the fire wall. I hissed in pain and looked down at my singed glove. I grimaced down at the glove as I made careful measures not to show the dagger I was holding. A smile appeared on his lips as he watched me like a cat would a mouse.

"I'm not Tayen." He whispered playfully into my ear. "Have you forgotten already, my darling?" He asked, his voice like poison in my ears as he pulled back. "Maybe this will help you." My eyes widened and I brought the blade forward, but as I did he touched my forehead.

 _Tayen stood before me his snarling smile turning towards me as he let the blood drip from his hands. I panted, my chest heaving in and out as I held my daggers in my hands._

" _Quinn my darling, do you really think you can beat me?" He asked before shaking his head side to side. "You could make this so easy on yourself." He whispered as he neared me. I could hardly move my body, pain and exhaustion stilling making even the smallest of movements nearly impossible. "I could even let your lovely fiancé go." He said as he sauntered up towards me. His smile scraping along his pointy teeth. His black eyes flickered at me and he tilted my chin up. My hand squeezed the dagger in my palm as he smirked down at my quivering form. "Just stand down. For your own sake, I want nothing with you yet." He murmured with a laugh in my face. His eyes flicked down to the daggers in my hands in a death grip. "Quinn….you wouldn't hurt your precious Tayen would you? I don't believe you have it in you." He hissed. But, I had to. He was an abomination. He was going to kill a lot of people. I had to stop him. But, it was Tayen. I couldn't lose him. Maker why is this happening? "Just as I thou-" With a cry of anguish I cut him off and drove the dagger through his chest._

" _You underestimate me." I hissed as tears welled up in my eyes as his widened and I felt something sharp ram into my abdomen. I choked on the pain, the demon's black eyes flickering in and out as a rage-filled gaze snarled in my face. "YOU BITCH!" He screamed as he stumbled backwards and away from me. "YOU THINK THIS IS OVER_?!" He screamed again as he convulsed in place. He sounded in pain, like the demon himself were dying. I collapsed onto the ground my hand flying to my wound to stop the _bleeding. "I SWEAR TO YOU THIS WILL NOT END HERE!_ _ **I WILL COME BACK!**_ _YOU AND YOUR WORTHLESS FAMILY FALL AND BURN MARK MY WORDS!" He cried as he collapsed onto his knees sliding the dagger that he'd stabbed me with into his sheath. The demon's words echoed around me, their screamed promise of death and destruction of my family shook me to my core._

" _Consider them marked." I called back weakly, blood dribbling down my lip, coating my teeth. I spit it out at him as he screamed a final time and collapsed onto the ground. A smoky entity sinking and burning away into the ground. When the entity was gone, all I saw was Tayen. His blue eyes wide and pained as he panted heavily._

" _Q-Quinn!" He cried no louder than a whimper. Any pieces of my broken heart that still remained shattered upon hearing him calling for me. The real him, bleeding and dying by my hand. Fresh tears rolled down my face as I-_

I snapped myself back into reality and found myself shaking out of either anger or fear I wasn't sure. I threw myself away from him and stumbled, falling to the ground and staring up at him. He smiled as he lowered himself into a crouch at my feet. The same curious tilt of his head cocked as he watched me, waiting for me to get it.

"Figured it out yet?" He asked patiently with pin point pupils. My chest moved up and down quickly as my eyes locked with his. _It can't be. This can't be happening._ I tried to deny it in my head, but my heart knew it was him. The dread I felt, the fear and rageI felt so deep inside of me, I _knew_ it could be no one or nothing else _._

"You're _the demon."_ I gasped, my eyes widening at the realization. His smile widened and he tapped his nose before resting his arms back on his knees.

"Such a smart little girl you are." He said in a patronizing tone as his eyes flicked to black. My heart suddenly picked up pace, racing faster than it had before. "You know…your Father had a similar expression on his face." He added thoughtfully with a roll of his pitch black eyes. My limbs refused to move as my mind screamed for me to run or fight or do something! But, I was stuck staring at him like a lamb about to be slaughtered. I could only imagine how shameful I must've looked, so full or terror and rage. The two intense emotions tearing me apart on the inside. My breaths still came in short pants, my mouth agape, my stomach twisting into knots. "Are you really that surprised? I even said I'd be back for you." He admonished as he looked me over. _Am I going to die?_ I asked myself as the demon stood and looked down at me. "Get up. That floor is filthy." He commanded, but I couldn't move. He gaze turned to an annoyed one and with a curl of his finger I stood straight up against my will. _He's playing with me._

"If you're going to kill me. Just do it! You think I care!?" I yelled, my energy and spirit renewed by my rage. He strode up to me, interested all of the sudden. His fingers grazing over my cheek as his black eyes locked onto mine.

"You think I have come here to kill you?" He asked, sounding somewhat hurt at my words. Or as hurt as a soul entrapping monster can sound. "You have nothing to fear, my darling, I will not harm you unless you provoke me. I've come here simply to have a chat." Even with his proclamation my heart didn't cease its hammering. The demon circled me like a vulture as I stayed perfectly still. "Will you listen to what I have to say?" He asked next to my ear. My eyes flicked to the fiery cage he snared me in and felt a snarl twist my lips.

"It looks like you have given me little choice." I ground out as my hands gripped onto my daggers even harder. He looked around admiring his fire wall, a smirk tugging at his lips.

"That's the spirit! I was worried you'd be like most mortals and just stand there trembling the entire time. Far too many of the souls I come across do." He explained as he leant next to my ear. "That's why I find speaking with you so…refreshing." He whispered in my ear, sounding absolutely delighted with himself or me. I spun on him and held my daggers up in a defensive position. He sat back on his heels as he looked me over. "You're different than other humans though. Stronger than most and you don't even realize it. Not even your wretch of a Father realized it until it was too late for him." His black eyes blinked back to Tayen's icy blue as he spat at the ground. _I still don't even know how this is possible! How can he be here…physically? Or at least somewhat physically…_

"How are you here!? It doesn't make sense!" I asked him angrily as I watched his every movement. He spread his arms out wide with an even wider smile directed at me.

"The veil between our worlds is weakened, child. The Breach allows demons to flow from the depths of the Fade." He explained as he lowered his arms back down to his side. I shook my head in confusion.

"The Herald and I stopped the Breach-!"

"You may have stopped its growing, but you by no means closed it." He pointed out with a wide grin. I kept my face composed, but on the inside I was terrified. _Maker this shouldn't be possible._ "Even in its state of stasis, it still makes coming here in this form much, _much_ easier." He added with a laugh in his voice. "I mean before there would have to be a lot more sacrifices than just these men. I'm talking dozens." He chortled as he looked at the dead soldiers like they were not even there. _"But, anything for my favorite mortal."_ He added as he flashed a smile back at me. My eyes fell to the soldiers and in moments I felt my blood boiling. _What if it hadn't just been these soldiers? What if it had been the entire town? What if Cullen hadn't come with me and he'd been down here? What if Leliana had been?_

"Why have you come back?!" I demanded. He says he's not here to kill me, but that is what he promised all those years back. So, why now was he being so secretive? _What did he have up his sleeve?_

"In due time, dearest. But, the things I have in mind for you…" He let out a pleasurable sigh and looked directly into my eyes. "Well, _that_ I can hardly wait for." He added as he toyed with a lock of my hair that I just realized was hanging down around my face. His hand rubbed against my cheek and I flinched away from him.

"Get away from me." I hissed and held my daggers back up in a defensive position. He tilted his head towards me, a malicious grin splitting his face as his eyes flickered back to black. "I want nothing to do with you." I growled angrily and whipped my blades around myself to try and catch him. He, however, caught my arm and swung me away from him like I was nothing.

"Oh my sweet, sweet Quinn. Believe me, you want everything to do with me." He said and looked towards Cullen and Leliana and _laughed._ "They won't understand you, you know? When they find out everything about you, they'll shut you out. Fear you." He hissed next to my ear. "Such simple, one dimensional creatures, aren't they? Fighting for what? Faith, love, their home?" He mocked as he looked at them with distaste. "But you…you're different. You fight to find purpose. You fight to survive. But, you will not survive here. My master will reap this land without mercy." He added with a smirk. "You're special, Quinn Thedran, you have something I need and for that you are very valuable to me." He said, his eyes sliding from my companions to me. "Join the winning team. What do you say?" He asked and immediately my mind screamed a resounding _no._ My lips, however, wouldn't form the suddenly materialized beside me, his lips next to my ear as I stared at Cullen and Leliana through the flames. They were shouting for me, but their words did not reach my ears as the demon whispered to me. "Not only are you special to me…but to my Master as well. You have something he wants as well, and he'll kill you for it, but I can save you. You only have to ask." He whispered and I found myself staring directly at Cullen. He shook his head at me, his wide whiskey colored eyes pleading me as his lips read 'Don't do this'.

"What part of I want nothing to do with you isn't clicking? Because I can rephrase it if you'd like." I hissed and threw him a dirty look as I sliced my blades towards him. He turned to smoke before me and I slid right through the air he was once standing in. I turned around looking for him, but didn't see him. I spun once again and sliced through the air when I heard him laugh.

"Quinn behind you!" Leliana screamed and I swung around and swiped at the demon, but he grabbed my arm and forced it back down. I swung up my other dagger and drove it through him, his grip loosing on my wrist.

"What do you want from me!?" I questioned again hoping he'd give me an answer. I twisted away and drove my dagger forward towards the shadowy form. He suddenly gripped my wrist and twisted it painfully making me drop the dagger. I glared as I tried to bring my other blade around, but my arm was stopped when his other hand came up. Before I could even register what happened I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder as it fell limply down to my side. _He dislocated my shoulder!?_ I gasped loudly in pain as my arm hung useless at my side. He rolled his eyes and tossed me away like yesterday's trash. I grunted in pain upon hitting the ground, my dislocated shoulder jarring painfully. The adrenaline running through me, however, diminished the pain as I glared up at him.

"Try all you like you cannot defeat me." He said with an annoyed tone before he looked at his wrist. "Oh, will you look at the time? I'm going to be late for my next appointment. Thank you for the lovely chat, my darling Sparrow. Ta ta now." My eyes widened and I scrambled towards him.

"Don't you dare run!" I screamed and jumped towards him as he began to fade away.

"Oh, and happy belated birthday Quinn." He said and with a snap of his fingers everything vanished in the blink of an eye. The bodies of the soldiers, the demon and the flames. All that was left was a Sunray flower and the blood of the soldiers on the ground. I felt a scream of rage tear from my lips as I stared at the ground where he'd disappeared.

"Where did he go?" Leliana asked as she dropped to her knees in front of me. I shook my head.

"I don't know." I hissed as I stared at the ground underneath me. My friend placed her hand on my shoulder as I continued to look anywhere but her.

"Are you alright?" She asked and I looked up at her with a short nod. I stood up, only wobbling slightly, as I tried my hardest to not to fall over. I looked around me and saw nothing to show what had just happened. Everything was gone. Tayen- the demon was gone. My answers were gone. I fought against the anger that boiled inside me. My hand balled up into the sleeve of my opposite arm. Cullen stopped me as I walked out of the circle.

"Quinn…your arm…" He murmured as his fingers grazed my arm. "Let me help you with it." He offered, but I pulled away from him.

"I got it." I muttered and jolted it suddenly back into place. The anger inside of me burning away any pain I would've felt. I saw Cullen flinch in front of me, his eyes watching me with shock. I lowered my eyes away from him and turned my head towards Leliana. Without another word from either of them I moved past and towards the hallway leading back up into the Chantry and to the War Room.

"Come. I'm sure you have questions." I said to them over my shoulder.

I stood in the War Room staring at the beautifully wrapped gift in the center of the table. The letter scrawled in blood lying next to it. The haunting words of ' _This was your choice'_ mocking me as I glared down at it.

"Ask me your questions." I ground out as I looked up at them, tearing my eyes from the confounded box. Both of them looked confused at where to start.

"My friend, who was that?" Leliana asked and I nodded before raising my eyes to her. My hand was sparking up next to me, but not nearly as bright as before. I was trying to control the delicious rage inside me that was just dying to be released. I needed to kill something or at least punch something.

"That was Tayen." I replied as my eyes connected with hers, my hand running briefly over my midsection before I realized what I was doing. I pulled my hand away noticing Cullen's eyes catching my movements, but refused to look at him. "My dead ex- fiancé." I added with a grimace and noticed the entire room seemed to lose the air inside of it. "But, that wasn't him. It was the demon that used his body as a damn meat suit." I hissed as I stared down at the War table.

"An abomination!?" Cullen practically shouted and I flinched at the harshness of his tone. I looked up at him and nodded with a grimace. "Hold a moment, you said 'dead'?" He asked and I nodded once more.

"Killed. It was the only way. He was going to murder half of my brothers and sisters. I couldn't allow that to happen." I explained and dropped my head down to the box sitting closed on the table. "Go on. Ask more questions, I know you have them." I said and didn't hear anything for a moment until I heard Cullen speak.

"What does he want with you?" He asked, sounding almost as if he didn't want to know. I ran a hand through my hair and grimaced.

"He wouldn't tell me." I ground out as I glared down at the box in front of me. "And the only person who actually knew is now dead." I added as my hands balled into fists.

"Your Father…" Cullen concluded. My hand flashed up at his words, my anger making the mark burn brighter. I looked down at my hand with interest before looking back up at him and nodding. "What does that note mean?" He asked as he pointed to it and my eyes drifted from the note with its haunting words. My eyes flicked to Leliana who frowned in my direction.

"I chose the Herald over my Father. That night the Herald almost died on the lake, the reason I knew what was happening was because I was given the choice to save the Herald or my Father." I explained, keeping my face blank.

"Why didn't you tell us then?" He asked suddenly making my head shoot up in confusion. I looked in between Cullen and Leliana. "Why did you keep this from us?" I saw a twinge of anger in his eyes as he leant against the table. I fought to control the anger I felt at his accusation, but considering everything I'd just gone through it seemed impossible. "We could've helped you! Maybe even saved those soldiers! Why did you leave us in the dark?" He asked stonily, his white knuckled grip on the pommel of his sword. My eyes narrowed into slits and I turned my scornful gaze on Cullen.

"Out of the two of you, you were the only one I left in the dark, _Rutherford._ " I replied darkly noticing his hand clench on his sword even harder as his eyes narrowed into slits mirroring mine. _Perhaps a little uncalled for…_ I reprimanded myself instantly knowing he would get angry now.

"And because of that five of our soldiers died! Because of that we had no idea a demon was going to march into our camp! But _you did_ and you didn't warn us!" He argued back, fueling my anger. _He thought I knew that the man I met on the mountain was a demon!?_ I heard Leliana try to intervene, but I cut her off.

"Do you think me a moron? Do you think I would risk everyone's lives here?! I didn't know he was a demon, I didn't even know who he was when we were in the Pass!" I threw back at him with a dirty look. "I killed him _six years ago_ and suddenly he's back!? How was I to know it was him!?" I asked angrily, my chest heaving as I glared at him. He glared back, his nostrils flaring making creases appear between his eye brows. He looked angrier than I'd ever seen him before and it was all focused at me.

"Is it true? Are you an assassin as well?" He asked shortly catching me off guard. I nodded a bit awkwardly, but kept the same constant glare in my eyes.

"Yes, but that is not what is important-"

"To the Void with importance! You've lied to me about everything and I want the truth!" He hissed at me and I felt a snarl twist my lips. "Was anything you told me true?" He asked with the same heat radiating from his words as what was in his eyes. They burned, the venom in his tone taking me by my surprise. It was enough to rattle me out of my angry state and switch tactics on him.

"We all have secrets, Commander. You are no different." I replied and saw his glare tighten.

"My secrets don't get people murdered." _Fair point._ I kept a straight face as I looked him over. "How can you expect people to trust you?" My hands tightened into tight balls as I glared at him.

"I don't." I started, shutting him up momentarily. "I don't give a _flying fuck_ if you people trust me. I already told you I didn't know how this happened, and I think I've more than proved that I'd never willingly endanger any of you." I replied with a glare. "If you can't trust me beyond that it sounds like a personal problem." I said through bared teeth. ' _They won't understand you, you know? When they find out everything about you, they'll shut you out. Fear you.'_ The demon's words hissed in my head as I watched Cullen angrily.

"But you have endangered us! That demon could've killed any of us!" He argued back and I felt my palm light up bright green. My rage pouring power into the mark. It didn't hurt this time, instead just made me feel stronger, but also angrier. I slammed my fist down on the table.

"I KNOW THAT!" I yelled at him. He didn't flinch, but Leliana on the left side of the table did. I turned my head to her as she moved towards me. A calming hand on my arm, but the fire in me refused to extinguish. I brushed her off and continued to glare at Cullen. "I didn't mean for this to happen! How many times do I have to say it before it seeps into that thick head of yours, _Templar?"_ I asked enraged and saw his face turn stony. I kept my face straight, but I knew I had my shot. _Going in for the kill._

"Quinn…" Leliana warned, but I didn't heed it.

"In fact, Commander, since you're so keen on trust and revealing secrets. Why don't we talk about that, hmm? You want me to explain my past, why don't we talk about yours?" I asked and saw him stiffen tenfold, hurling me a dirty look across the War table. "What? Not willing to delve into why being a Templar is such a touchy subject for you?" I asked careless and vicious, knowing I'd plucked a nerve. He was silent as his eyes closed for a moment and he took a deep breath. _Controlling himself._ He moved away from the table his dangerous dark whiskey eyes snarling at me as he strode around the table making for the door. He stopped next to me and looked down at me shortly.

"I thought you were different." He said coldly, despite the heat in his eyes. I raised my chin at him and smirked coldly back.

"The feeling's mutual, love." I replied coolly as his scarred lip curled into a snarl and he left with a slam of the door. I refused to cringe, but I was shaking internally. I was so angry, but at the same time I knew what I had said to him was wrong. I shouldn't have said those things to him, even if he did provoke me.

"He means well." Leliana said from behind me and I looked over my shoulder at her. Her calming presence usually brought me a bit of peace, but this time it did little to lower my temper. But, it did enough.

"Perhaps, but it was a mistake thinking he'd listen to me. I'm nothing but a security risk to him." I ground out as I looked back at the door shortly. She sighed and moved next to me and leant against the wall.

"Maybe. Or maybe for him it is more of a, as you say, 'personal problem'." She pointed out as she looked towards the door as well. "I'll speak with him."

"Leliana, don't." I said and looked down at my hands, more importantly my sparking green palm. _It was a good thing he wanted nothing to do with me._ Only bad things could happen for him. She was silent for a moment before nodding.

"You should get some sleep. We'll continue discussing what has happened in the morning when the Herald and his party are back." I nodded and together we walked out of the Chantry and looked around for a moment before continuing. We continued walking, but out of the corner of my eye I caught movement and felt the heat of eyes on me. My eyes slid over to Leli and noticed her look to me with the same look. _She feels it too._ I listened carefully as we moved through the camp and stopped at my cabin.

"Fair weather out, isn't it?" I asked and I saw her nod with a smirk in her eyes. Our code, whenever we felt someone was watching us or we might be in potential danger we would say those words. It was something we'd done since we met.

"Fair weather indeed." She agreed meeting my eyes. "I will have guards posted in the morning to you. Sleep well, Sparrow." She said with a tip of her head and I smiled, tipping my head as well as she left. I looked around my cabin for a moment and grimaced. _Sparrow._ That name had a bad taste in my mouth all of the sudden. A reminder of the Father I betrayed. I tried to shake the thoughts from my head, but they wouldn't leave me. I flopped a bit ungracefully onto my bed and sighed sadly, my eyes glued to ceiling for what felt like hours. My thoughts swirling around the events that just took place. It all happened so fast it was hard to process, and I partially didn't want to. I didn't want to feel regret for what I did, because I knew I shouldn't. I chose the Herald because he can save the world. I did the right thing…didn't I? One man's life does not outweigh the lives of millions. No matter who he is. I'd made the same choice if it was anyone else. But…still. He was my Father. The man who raised me…dead. Just like that. No closure, no goodbyes…just dead. I never thought it would be like this…in fact I thought he'd outlive me. He's careful and cautious, always ten steps ahead of everyone else…so how did he get killed? I thought back to the demon's words, how he said my Father had the same expression that I did. The horror and shock…only my Father didn't have something the demon wanted. _I guess I am lucky._ My mind mused in a cruel tone. If you can even call it luck, it's probably more somewhere along the lines of screwed than lucky. I closed my eyes for a second and saw my Father's image flash in my mind, back when he used to smile and train with me. Back when my Mother was alive…

 _Father…_ I felt tears prick my eyes, but I bit them back and forced myself to sit up on the bed. It was quite evident to me I wasn't getting any sleep tonight. Too much shit had happened, which seems to be an everyday occurrence now that I think about it. _My life went from good to bad so quickly._ One minute I'm sitting on a beach with Cullen, the next I trade the beach for a fiery cell and a demon. I stood abruptly from the bed my eyes drawing to the mirror as quiet rage for my Father's death and that blasted demon coming back to life, and Cullen yelling at me all fused into one focused ball of heat in my chest. I tried to remain calm, to force it back down. Without warning my fist flew out and punched the mirror, shattering it into tiny pieces. My eyes widened marginally as I looked to my hand and then the falling glass. I pulled my hand away and examined it for a moment making sure no shards had gotten stuck in it. Suddenly a knock came at the door and I twisted to the sound and pulled my hand behind my cloak and opened the door. Looking around I saw nothing, but empty torch lit alleyways and dark cabins. My eyes moved around, scanning the area suspiciously, but still didn't see anything. Slowly, I exited the cabin and strode along the alleyway listening for any sound while also acting normal. I needed to do a quick sweep of the town, just to be safe. My daggers hummed at my hips, dying to be used, but I ignored their pleas as I moved through cramped alleyways and around the bar. Everything was closed except for the bar, I guess for people who like staying awake all hours of the night. Or the watch guards. I discreetly I looked between the shutters and froze when I saw Cullen sitting inside with an ale in his hand. I watched him as he stared down at some paper in his opposite hand. Beside myself a smile came to my lips. _Shiny boots never stops working, does he?_ I mused, but quickly scorned myself. _Moron. He's going to wear himself out._ I hissed in response to my scorning.

"Do you wan' another, Commander?" A pretty barmaid asked and I felt an unfamiliar twist in my gut as she leant over in front of him wiping down the table. Her rather large breasts nearly falling out of her bustier.

"No. Thank you." Cullen responded politely making a smile come to my lips. _He probably doesn't even notice._ I watched as she frowned prettily before placing both hands on her hips and bending over. Her hand hovering just his armored shoulder.

"Is there anythin' else I can do for ya'?" She asked and I nearly laughed at her poor attempt at seducing the Commander. _Is Cullen going to get laid?_ I asked myself, the same unfamiliar painful twist in my stomach appearing before I rolled my eyes, ignoring the strange feeling.

"No, but there is a soldier over there who's just gotten off his guard duty. Perhaps you could tend to him?" He asked kindly, and oh-so-obliviously as he looked over at the soldier barely holding his head up and nodded reluctantly. _Better luck next time, sweet cheeks._ I mused in my head and let out a quiet snicker, but flinched when I saw Cullen's eyes move to the window I was at. His piercing golden eyes looking for me as I ducked behind the wall and slid to the opposite side of the wall. I leant up against the wall and waited as the door swung open and I heard Cullen walking over to the window.

"Is someone there?" He asked, but I didn't answer instead I watched him as he looked around. He looked annoyingly handsome in the moonlight. His head turned towards the tavern wall I was standing behind and I pulled myself back so he wouldn't see me. I heard his footsteps approaching and my eyes lifted to the roof of the tavern. _I could let him find me…but I also didn't want to talk. Plus, I was kind of spying on him._ With ease I leapt onto the side of the tavern and silently scrambled just onto the roof. I watched in silence as he moved around the wall of the tavern cautiously. He released the pommel of his sword.

"Commander? Is something wrong?" The barmaid asked through the window and I grinned as he rolled his eyes. Shaking his head he walked back towards the door and with one last look he closed the door again and disappeared into the Tavern. I slid silently off the roof and landed quietly in the snow before making way around Haven. I padded down the stairs, but paused when I saw two guards walking towards me. I slid from view, going completely unnoticed as I went left at the gates to Haven. For a moment I wondered why I was hiding from everyone. _I want to be left alone._ That's an obvious reason, but I think it was just something that came natural. _Hiding and not being seen is what I'm good at. Precisely the reason I am not the Herald of Andraste._ Moving through the darkness I came up to a large trebuchet. I moved closer to it, my hand running over the wooden masterpiece. _What do we need siege engines for?_ I asked myself, but then again we can never be too careful…I guess. My eyes drew from the trebuchet to a wooden and metal contraption just to the left of it. In the front balancing posts were line about 4 feet high, a punching bag hung above it that seemed to be on a zip line. Behind those were gymnast bars directly connected to a wall with small begs placed every which way. I smiled brightly to myself as I walked up to the contraption and found a card nailed to the first post.

" _To Quinn,_

 _I'm sure you will find this before I can show it to you. But, this is your Name day present. It was the closest one I could find to the one the Divine had for us. I figured you might have been getting bored with just hitting dummies and going for runs._

 _Your friend, Leliana"_

I smiled to myself as I nailed the note back into place and smiled for a moment before shirking off my jacket and leaping onto the balancing posts. Landing with perfect balance I held my fists up and began assaulting the punching bag. I punched the bag hard to the left and flipped onto a separate balance post and waited until the bag came back. I dodged and spun, delivering a sharp kick to the bag of sand. I rehearsed the drills that I'd done for years, my body working in familiar ways around the posts and the punching bag. I panted as I placed my hands on my knees.

" _Don't stop, Quinn. If you stop you won't get stronger. You want to be strong, don't you?" My Father's voice echoed through the training room. He held up his hand and the dummies halted their movements._

" _I want to be the strongest." I called back to him, and with a flash of a smile he raised his hand and the dummies started again. He clapped in time with my movements as I slid around the dummies, my arms moving on their own volition as I methodically cut through them._

With renewed strength I began punching the bag again. _I want to be the strongest. I have to be the strongest._ I continued my onslaught on the punching bag. Hair flying in my face as I continued to punch and dodge, concentrating where my feet were careful not to fall. My mind wandered as I thought over what happened today and my heart beat faster. _I swear Father, on my life I'll kill the man or thing that killed you. You will have your justice._ I hissed in my head and punched the bag especially hard and it buckled unexpectedly and whipped right back at me. I quickly flipped away from it and landed on the balancing post on my palm and twisted my body around, but stopped when I felt my shoulder scream in pain. I gasped in pain and fell off the post and landed on the ground with a grunt. I closed my eyes in anger and grabbed my shoulder.

"Damn it." I cursed as I rubbed the sore muscles. It was popped back in place, it shouldn't still be hurting…right? I shivered at the memory of him so easily popping it out of its socket and gripped my shoulder a bit tighter. _Maker if he could pop my shoulder out of socket that easily, then what else is he capable of?_ I asked myself as I dropped my head against a balancing post and looked up at the stars, the moon and the Breach as it lit the ground around me. Reaching down I grabbed a ball of snow and placed it on my sore shoulder. _Maker when did my life get so screwed up? Or was it always screwed up?_ I sagged against the post and looked up at the sky as exhaustion gripped me and dragged me under.

* * *

A loud bang sounded around me and I groaned audibly as I rolled over onto my side.

"Five more minutes." I called out, not even opening my eyes yet. Another pound came at the door and I groaned again. As I lifted myself off the bed, but froze when a realization hit me. _How did I get to my room? Did I sleepwalk?_ I asked myself, my mind racing for an answer, but none came to me. I looked down at myself and noticed I was still wearing the same clothes, but my cloak was hung up on the wall. _Who in Andraste's name took me back to my room?!_ I looked to the door as another bang came at the door. I threw myself from the bed, snatched my cloak off of the wall and marched up to the door. Swing it open I scowled at the people in the doorway. "By the Maker I-" I paused when I saw Leliana standing with two scouts at her side.

"Good Morning to you too, Lady Protector." Leliana said with a grin. I rolled my eyes at her and leant against the door frame.

"Good morning, Sister Leliana. What can I do for you?" I asked, eliciting a small smile from her.

"Actually, it is what I can do you. These are the two guards I am placing as your protection." She said and I lifted an eye brow at her. "This man's name is Oran." She said and gestured to the man who smiled shortly at me and bowed his head. He had a strange sense of familiarity about him, but I couldn't place it. "…and you may know this one, his name is-" I turned my head to look at the other man, but he was already very close and grabbed my hand. He kissed it feverishly before I pulled it away with awkward disgust.

"Jim, My Lady Protector! I swear on my life no one will harm you, not while I'm alive!" He shouted energetically with a bright smile. My eyes widened fractionally as I looked to Leliana wondering if she was serious or not.

"You idiot." Oran mumbled still next to Leliana. Jim turned to him and glared like a little boy. I giggled at them both, but I caught movement just over Leliana's shoulder. A blonde head bouncing along the path to the Chantry. _Cullen._ His eyes caught mine only briefly before he turned back and moved inside the Chantry allowing one of the sisters in before him. I looked back to Leliana as she nodded for me to follow her.

"The Herald has arrived. We have summoned a War Council to go over everything that the Herald has accomplished in Val Royeaux, and the events of last night." She said cordially as I moved in step with her. She looked over at me briefly as I cringed. _That's not going to be fun._

"So, should I get the shackles on now? Save Cassandra some time?" I asked and saw a grimace twist her thin lips as she looked over at me.

"You have not done anything wrong, Quinn. There will be no reason to arrest you." She replied as she looked over her shoulder as we entered the Chantry. "Besides, the Herald wouldn't let that happen. He seems to be rather fond of you." She said as she looked back to me with a comforting smile. We strode into the Chantry, but I stopped at the door and gave her a short grin.

"Well, this is gonna suck." I grunted and pushed the door open with a loud creak. Leliana moved to the opposite side of the table to the left of Cullen. Josephine was standing on the right side of him. All, however, were silent. I leant against the not very well lit area of the wall and crossed my arms waiting for the Herald to walk in. I felt the heat of Cullen's gaze on me every once in a while, and I heard someone about to speak up when the door suddenly opened. My eyes turned to it and I saw the Herald and Cassandra walk into the room.

"Hello." The Herald greeted a little awkwardly. He scanned the room and his eyes found mine. "Lady Protector! How are you-I mean, how was the mission?" He asked excitedly and I felt a small smile appear on my lips.

"Hello Herald. The mission was good, we acquired the Bull's chargers." I informed and saw him smile wider.

"I knew you would." He replied with a bright smile, but beside him I heard Cassandra scoff.

"Can we get on with this?" Cassandra asked as she looked towards the ambassadors. After that she commenced retelling everything that they'd accomplished in Val Royeaux and the people they'd recruited. I dropped my head knowing I was up soon to tell them everything that happened the night before. A frown placed itself on my lips as I felt anxiety twist my stomach painfully. My eyes flicked over to Cullen, and noticed him look away quickly before gluing his eyes to the War map. Their conversation continued until they were told to move onto the next order of business. I found Leliana's gaze and pulled on an impassive look.

"There is something else we need to discuss. Something transpired last night that needs everyone's attention." She said and looked to me. "The Lady Protector will explain." I looked from her to the Herald of Andraste and grimaced. _Here goes nothing._ I took a deep breath and told them everything about the night before.


	13. Chapter 13

Clip, Clop. Clip, Clop.

Our personal parade of horses trotted down the stone path to Redcliffe. It was a gloomy day, the clouds hanging drearily in front of the sun. It wasn't raining, and for that I was thankful. My eyes drifted to the path and the trees as we passed. Their colors blurring together as my eyes unfocused and refocused tiredly. I hadn't slept in days, however not for lack of trying. My recent nights had been riddled with nightmares of Tayen and the demon. I frowned and looked forward, my eyes falling on Cassandra and a tight glare contorted my face. She wasn't turned to me now, but I'd caught her glaring at me a couple of times throughout the trip and the days we spent at Haven. I flipped my hood up as I grimaced at her.

 _"...And...well yeah. I think that's everything." I finished retelling everything that happened the night prior, and for a moment the world was quiet. I looked to Leliana with a raised eye brow before looking back at Cassandra, Josephine and the Herald. They were all watching me with wide eyes, but remained silent._ " _You're taking this suspiciously well…" I pointed out as I looked mainly at Cassandra. She looked as if she were still taking it all in, maybe she's being rational for once? I almost laughed at myself for thinking that. But, just as quick as I thought it she burst forward pushing the Herald behind her and grabbed me by my collar shoving me into the wall. I watched her with an even gaze as she glared at me. The veins in her forehead nearly popped out of her skin, her face bright red and angry as she held me against the wall. I didn't fight back. To be honest I didn't see the point._

" _You little snake! You could've gotten everyone in this camp killed!" She snarled in my face, her brown eyes piercing into mine. "Do you even care!?" She asked angrily, but I didn't respond. I didn't need to answer to her and I sure as hell wasn't going to try and reason with her._

" _Cassandra stop." The Herald spoke up from the door. His cautious eyes on me as he frowned. "She saved my life!" He urged as he looked back and forth around the room. "Does that mean nothing to any of you!?" He asked outraged as his eyes fell on me again._

" _It's alright, Herald. She won't listen so what is the point?" I asked as I looked down at her. The fire in her eyes sending a sharp sensation through me. I felt my palm spark again as anger twisted like fire through my veins. I closed my eyes for a second trying to calm myself. I hid my hand in my cloak as she held me against the wall. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5-_

" _With good reason. You are nothing but a liar and a thief. Not only that, but an assassin above all else. A cold-blooded murderer." She hissed at me, making my control slip only a little bit._

" _Well, you're not wrong." I replied with a roll of my eyes. She snarled at me and pushed me further into the wall. Her fists digging the metal into my skin with bruising force, but I refused to let her notice. Abruptly Cassandra was ripped away from me and Cullen faced her as she stumbled back._

" _That is enough Cassandra!" He rumbled and the shock I felt trumped the anger inside of me. He's…defending me? My mind swirled for a moment before Cassandra's scoff brought me back to reality. I tore my eyes away from Cullen's form and locked onto Cassandra with a glare._

" _She does not even deny it." She continued incredulously before looking from Cullen to Leliana accusingly. "This is the type of person you ally yourself with, Leliana?" She asked and looked at Leliana with distaste._

" _Yes, she is." Leliana replied, obviously annoyed by Cassandra's words. "And someone who the Divine herself chose to ally herself with, if you'll remember." She pointed out and I saw Cassandra stiffen._

" _And she is now dead!" Cassandra burst and wheeled back around to me with an accusatory look. Cullen stiffened as well, his body either subconsciously or consciously moved a bit more in front of me. Which further confused me. "How do we know she wasn't behind it!?" She asked angrily and as if she didn't see the Commander there she suddenly approached me again. "She doesn't care about anyone but herself! She's going to get us all killed!" She fumed and I felt my control slipping. The anger was rising inside of me, anger I couldn't keep contained. My hand sparked loudly at her words as she glared at me. Maker I want to wring her neck. I brushed past Cullen and then her, knowing that if I didn't tear myself away I'd hurt her badly for insinuating such things. I moved towards the door with a snarl on my face. The Herald flinched next to me and as I brushed past him his hand flashed in unison with mine. I took little notice to it as I grabbed the door handle._

" _I have told you all everything I know. We're done here." I hissed and moved towards the door._

" _You're not going anywhere." She hissed and I heard her footsteps following me, but I didn't turn._

" _Cassandra." Cullen warned, but Cassandra didn't stop as she grabbed hold on my shoulder. A spark of pain lit my skin as her calloused hands dug into my still sore shoulder. Without even thinking my body reacted anger pulsing through my veins making my hand flash up brighter. Faster than lightning, I drove her face into The Hinterlands and wrenched her arm backwards. She struggled against my hold, but she couldn't move. Everyone was quiet in the room save for Cassandra who was grunting trying to free herself. I could feel the surprising heat of Cullen's eyes on the side of my face, but I didn't hear him speak._

" _I said we're done." I muttered with a deadly hiss. She stilled beneath me and I pushed away from her refusing to cast looks at anyone in the room. Without a word from me or anyone I swiftly moved from the War room my cloak flapping around me as I slammed the door._

My hands tightened on the reins and I felt a snarl twist my lips. My breathing became somewhat erratic as my heart pounded in my ears. My hand flared up, but I hid it underneath my cloak, retracting my arms in to hide my anger better. I wasn't ashamed of who I am. I knew what I was, what I've done and who I have become isn't something most would be proud of. I also knew that I probably deserved all of their angry words and slanderous terms. But, she had brought the Divine into the argument and insinuated I'd been an instrument of her demise. She knew it would anger me, and I'm sure that's what she wanted.

"You alright, Angel?" Varric asked at my elbow, shattering my thoughts. I turned my head to him forcing my breathing to calm followed by my heartbeat. He was a clever dwarf, his eyes catching things very few could. He already knew what was wrong. "The Seeker will cool off. Just give it some time." He added in his usual gruff tone. I turned my head away from him, my eyes locking onto the black head of Cassandra bobbing out in the front of the group.

"I don't care about her." I hissed quietly as my eyes moved down to the reins in my gloved hands. "Her disdain for me is nothing new. This is just yet another reason for her to justify it." I added, my lips falling into a scowl. It was the truth too. I didn't care what she thought of me, her mind would never change. Besides…I had far too much to deal with. Like a fucking demon coming after me for Maker knows what reason.

 _I stared down at the pentagram still drawn in the blood of those soldiers on the dungeon floor. My hand kept sparking randomly. Anger and fear battling wildly inside of me making me feel like flame in the wind. The fear nearly extinguishing my anger, but my pride wouldn't let it. I didn't dare set my foot inside of it, instead I stood just on the outer circle. The demon's words fresh in my mind coming from Tayen's mouth. I sank down to my knees staring at the ground._

" _ **You know…your Father had a similar expression on his face."**_ _I could practically hear the taunts being murmured around me as my hands clenched into fists at my side._ _ **"Try all you like, you cannot defeat me."**_ _My hand wandered to my shoulder and I frowned as I gripped it angrily. I was weak. I couldn't even hurt him._

" _What do you want with me?" I whispered to myself knowing I'd get no answer from him. I wanted to know so badly. I wanted to know why he would kill my Father for seemingly no reason! I wanted to know_ _ **how**_ _he could possibly kill my Father. The man who taught me everything I know. How to fight. How to kill. How to_ _ **survive**_ _. I snarled angrily and punched the hard stone floor. How could that man possibly be dead!? I gasped at the pain that suddenly splintered up my arm spreading from my knuckles. "Fuck." I muttered as I pulled my hand into me._

"That was not very wise. _" A voice called out from behind me. I flinched, but didn't turn around as I heard footsteps approach. "You are still technically under my employ and I cannot have you injuring yourself." I felt a sarcastic smile cross my lips at Leliana's words, but I didn't respond. I heard her boots fall against the ground as she moved closer. "Besides, what did the floor do to you?" She asked and I knew this was her attempt at cheering me up. It had the adverse effect though._

" _What does he want with me Leli?" I asked, my voice breaking as I tried to stop the sob. Maker I so badly didn't want her to see my like this. She stopped moving towards me remaining silent for a moment as I stared at the circle ahead of me. "Will I ever be free of this?" I asked. I knew she wouldn't have the answers, but it was the only thing I could think to say. Abruptly I heard her kneel down next to me and touch my shoulder. I turned my head to her and in slight confusion before she pulled me into a quiet hug. I froze, feeling very awkward for a moment before hugging her back tightly._

" _I do not have the answers no matter how badly I wish I did." She replied softly. I felt tears fall down my cheeks as she hugged me and I hugged her a bit tighter. "But I promise you my friend, we'll figure this out and keep you safe." She added as I fought to hold back the tears from falling as my hands balled into her clothing._

" _Thank you Leliana." I replied through tears in my eyes._

I shook the memory from my head, I'd distracted myself well these past couple of days trying to distract from my issues. Training day and night and occupying myself in the Tavern. It…helped. I shook myself mentally again, I didn't need to worry about that now. I needed to focus on the mission. Focus on the Herald. Varric was watching me with his intelligent eyes making this sense of suspicion run through me. I sighed releasing the breath I'd been holding, my hands loosening on the leather straps. "Do you know?" I asked, my eyes flickering over to him. My clever friend looked ahead and nodded. _Figured as much_.

"Curly told us what happened. He wouldn't tell us much, but I figured you would fill me eventually though." I stiffened at his words. _Cullen told them?_ "He asked Bull and I to keep close to you just in case anything were to happen." I looked back down towards the reins, my hand no longer sparking from underneath the glove. I wasn't angry that Cullen told them, in fact it made it easier on me. They had every right to know who they were fighting with and what was going on, and I was thankful I didn't have to explain it to them. I had a hard enough time explaining it to myself, let alone Leliana and Cullen. I felt a frown pull at my lips as my stomach sank. _Cullen…_

 _ **Bang, Bang, Bang!**_

" _Come in." I called out without looking at the door, the hinges squealing in response to my invitation. I covered the present up with a blanket and turned my head to the door. There in the gaping doorway stood Cullen awkwardly staring at me as he cleared his throat. "Yes?" I asked as I stood, closing the trunk as I did. "Can I help you, Commander?" I asked not unkindly noticing him straighten with a stern nod._

" _I came by to inform you that the Herald is leaving for Redcliffe, and he has requested you attend along with Cassandra, Varric and Bull." He said as I rummaged through the desk in the corner of the room for writing supplies. I nodded as I held up a hand pointing to nightstand._

" _I know. Leliana informed me last night that the Herald had asked her personally if she thought it was safe for me." I responded as I continued to look for my things to put away in my pack. "He's very considerate." I murmured to myself as I tossed a volume of swords and shields onto the bed and grabbed a bundle of clothing. I looked to Cullen briefly as he watched me with confusion._

" _He did?" He asked and I nodded as I straightened back up and strode over to the traveling pack on my bed and stuffed them in. "I was under the impression he wanted you to stay here." Spinning on my heels I nodded curtly before walking over to the shelves in the far corner of the room._

" _I assumed you knew." I responded nonchalantly as I rummaged through the shelves and drawers. "Apparently he thinks I'm safer with him." I added saucily, placing my hands on my hips trying to think of anything else I needed in this room._

" _I was not aware. But, I suppose it does make sense if the Herald thinks you are safer with him, who am I to argue?" He replied his voice trailing off slightly, either not recognizing my tone or not caring. "I have asked Bull to watch after you on the mission. If anything happens he will let me know, since I am sure you would not." He added making me pause to look at him briefly. Was that a joke?_

" _Really?" I asked flatly as he looked around me cabin. His eyes flicked to mine and he nodded as if not getting that I was quite annoyed by the fact that I had to be 'watched'. "Babysitting? That's just great." I grumbled as I continued rummaging. "Finding it really hard to kick those Templar habits, huh?" I asked, but noticed out of the corner of my eye he stiffened ever so slightly. His eyes stopping their scan of the room and focused on the broken mirror I'd placed on the floor. "You know, you can't control everything. Right? Whether Bull is there babysitting me or not random crap could still happen." I added as I crossed the room. I looked to him briefly, noticing a strange look flash through his eyes, but it was gone too quick. I pretended not to see, but it sparked an interest in me._

" _If it bothers you that much we could not call it 'babysitting'. Either way, Bull has his instructions not to let any harm come to you and inform me of everything that happens." He replied in his 'Commander' tone. "Which means-"_

" _Yeah, yeah I got it. I sneeze you hear about it. Sounds like buckets of fun." I grumbled as I slammed shut a desk drawer annoyed before strolling over to the nightstand, grabbing a roll of paper and placing it into the pack._

" _It is for your own protection." He reassured making me choke on laughter._

" _My protection or the protection of everyone else?" I asked as I straightened for a moment to look back at him. "Last time I checked you were only interested in the latter." I added, punctuating it with a slam of another drawer. His gaze turned fiery as it locked onto my own aggravated gaze._

" _You know that is not true." He argued, swiftly meeting my step. "Where I do care about what happens to the people of Haven, I also care about what happens to you." He replied sternly making me cock an eyebrow in response. "As a member of the Inquisition of course." He added quickly before crossing his arms over his chest. I scoffed and walked away to my pack and began moving things around in an orderly way. I could practically hear his temper rising as the temperature in the room seemed to rise a little. I snuck a peek at him seeing his eyes closing as he pinched the bridge of his nose and taking a sharp intake of breath through his nose. "How would you have had me handle the situation?" He asked trying to keep the agitation out of his voice as he looked back down at me._

" _Better than you did! You didn't even let me explain myself before you blew your top." I shot back throwing caution to the wind as I shoved the bag away from me and moved to the table with my daggers._

" _What was there left to explain? Was there something else you were keeping from me?" He asked with a surprising amount of anger in his tone. My eyes narrowed as I stared down at the gleaming daggers in front of me._

" _That's not fair." I ground out trying to hide the anger that was bubbling through my veins._

" _Why not? If I were hiding something like this I'm sure you'd give me the same scrutiny." He reasoned, my teeth grinding together in response, refusing to speak. "Am I wrong? Because if I am I will apologize for every word I said to you." He replied icily as he approached me. I gripped the edges of the desk trying to settle the anger lighting the blood in my veins. "Would you not do the same?" He asked a bit louder and I spun on him angrily._

" _I would understand! I'd give you a chance!" I growled as I pushed him away from me. He stumbled slightly, shocked by burst of anger. But, I didn't stop my advance as I pushed him again, except this time he didn't budge. "I wouldn't judge you for something in your past you couldn't control or who you were." I shot back, my voice breaking a bit at the end of my argument. Much to my displeasure he noticed the slight crack in my armor and he visibly softened at the slip-up. I faltered at the sudden compassion I saw in his eyes and looked away embarrassed._

" _I am not talking about you being an assassin or the demon…" He replied, his voice less calloused than before. The gentle timber of his voice plucking a dusty string in my heart._

" _Then what are you referring to, Cullen?" I asked, my anger settling for the moment as our eyes connected._

" _You lied to me." He replied plainly as his hands settled on the pommel of his sword._

" _So?" I scoffed, looking up at him with a silent irritation in my eyes. "I've lied to lots of people." I finished, trying my earnest to keep my anger in check after I'd blown up at him again._ _ **Maker he gets under my skin.**_

" _I do not care if you lie to other people. I want you to be honest with me." He said, making my right eyebrow cock at him._

" _Why does this matter to you so much?" I asked suddenly very interested in what he had to say. He sighed and gripped the pommel of his sword a bit tighter._

" _Because I want to trust you, Quinn. But, the fact that I can't tell what is truth and what is lie coming from your mouth is troubling." He responded and I shook my head at him, the irritation back._

" _Beautifully put Commander, but let's face it. You wouldn't believe me even if I told you your hair was blonde." I replied, noticing the intense displeasure that crossed his eyes as he frowned down at me. His eyes no longer holding a sliver of compassion._

" _You think very little of me don't you?" He asked and I laughed shortly before looking back up at him._

" _No, of course not. I just think you're terribly hypocritical, annoyingly self-righteous, and prone to thinking the worst of people especially one with questionable background." I stated as I watched him evenly. "You do have nice hair though." I commented with a defiant smirk on my lips as he turned away and ran a hand along the back of his neck._

" _I do not have time for this. I must attend to other important matters." He muttered, but he didn't move._

" _Well don't let me stop you." I replied sassily as I moved back to the table and grabbed my daggers, along with a few extra knives and supplies. Just behind me I heard him swiftly turn on his heels and march towards the door. I didn't hear it open however, as I busied myself with stowing away the weapons._ _ **Why was he hesitating?**_ _I heard the door finally open with a loud creak._

" _Quinn." He called out quietly from the door making me still in my movements. I turned my head to him with an eye brow lifted. What did he have to say now? A saucy comment about my attitude? Maybe some more angry words? "I'm sorry about your Father." He replied softly tenderly and I felt my heart halt in its beats for a moment before painfully ramming against my rib cage again. My eyes widened and my mouth hung open slightly in awe. His golden gaze held my unbelieving green_ _ **.**_ _I expected anything but that. Especially from him. I turned quickly from him and stared at the far wall of the cabin trying to collect myself. I couldn't look weak in front of him or any of the others. I had to be strong._

" _Assassins are prepared for death since the day they're born." I responded as my hands balled into fists at my side._

" _Regardless…he was your Father." He replied gently as if he was afraid I'd shatter like glass. I shook my head, I didn't want to talk about this anymore._

" _I thought you were leaving. Something about more important matters?" I snapped and for a moment there was absolute silence before I heard his footsteps retreat and the door swing shut._

I let out an audible sigh and pulled my hand away from the bracelet. What is it about him that allows him to get underneath my skin? And when he'd brought up my Father…it had affected me so much and I couldn't explain why.

"So what's your deal with Curly anyway?" My head turned at an unnatural speed and I stared at Varric with a look somewhere between shock, embarrassment and anger.

"I don't have a 'deal' with him." I replied with a gravelly tone.

"That's not what Tiny said. He said you two were getting pretty cozy on the beach." I felt my embarrassment stain my cheeks and it worsened when I saw the Herald's ears literally perk up. I turned my head to Bull and glared daggers at him before turning my head back to Varric.

"How would he know? He was drunk out of his mind." I hissed, noticing Varric only smirk as he looked away from me. "Oh no you don't. You don't give me that look and then get all silent. Tell me what you're thinking in that twisted little brain of yours." I demanded quietly and he chuckled as he looked up at me.

"I was just thinking that it's a shame it's not true. It'd be great material for a book, something better than anything I could come up with." He said before shrugging as he bounced in his saddle. "But, if you say nothing happened. Nothing happened." He sighed before short chuckle rumbled from his chest. "You and Curly would be weird together anyway. He's too straight-laced and well...your laces are long gone." He finished with a smirk. I lifted an eyebrow at him before leaning back in my saddle. _We'd be weird together?_ I fought the frown from my lips and instead focused on the trail ahead of us. _WAIT! Why do I even care!? I don't like Cullen like that! I didn't even think of him like that!_ Okay...maybe once or twice. I internally smacked myself as we continued to bob down the road. I have so many bigger things to worry about and I'm thinking of that guy? _I'm hopeless._

"Redcliffe Village should be just up ahead. We walk from here." Lady Cassandra called out and I looked from her to the Herald as we all hopped off of our horses. We strode forward once we'd tied off our hoses by an abandoned barn, but both the Herald and I faltered when our hands sparked in unison. My hand was concealed under the gloves I wore, but his sparked loudly and brightly as if it were proud to be part of him. Leliana had given me explicit instructions not to reveal my mark to anyone while we were here. The Inquisition only knew about my mark since they only publicly spoke about Trevelyan's. I didn't mind it. At least I wouldn't be in the limelight. My eyes widened, the familiar, painful pull of the Fade yanking at my palm. He looked to me with worry as a green slit about ten feet up burst open. I flicked my daggers from their loops and got ready to attack. The rift would only hurt me if I tried to close it, right? _So let's not try that._ Demons suddenly emerged from the gushing, green sacs on the ground. Their disgusting faces, twisted and snarling as they neared the Herald. My pulse jumped in my veins as my adrenaline kicked in. _Finally I get to fight something._ I burst forward without a second thought and drove my blade through the demon getting too close. Suddenly, this energy like substance flew past my head and I flinched as I looked to the demon to my right. A wisp. I ran forward and slid underneath of an attack before popping up and with an intense burst of speed I ripped my blades through the demon. It screeched in pain as another screeched towards me. Everything for the moment seemed to move twice as fast as I ripped my blades through an unsuspecting demon and threw an extra knife through another demon on the opposite side of the fight. I stared down at myself in amazement confused at how fast I was, but that's when I noticed this glowing circle around me. I stared down in confusion at the circle, inspecting it a bit closer. Everything in the circle seemed to move faster, like time itself was sped up in this one place.

"Are you done playing, Thedran!?" Cassandra snapped and I froze for a moment before turning back and seeing a large demon assaulting her while the Herald fought off one to his left. Cassandra drove her blade through the large gangly demon, but it didn't do much. The demon brought around its large clawed hand down towards them as I whipped my daggers along the side of the monster. It screeched in anger and sunk into the ground and out of sight

"Where'd it go?" Trevelyan asked as the demon he'd killed was sucked into the Fade. Slowly, all looked around. I glanced about, when suddenly the demon threw itself from underneath my feet knocking me onto my back. I grunted as I scrambled to get up and away from the demon. Its claws embedded into the ground next to my leg as I scuttled backwards. It raised its claws and I held up my daggers to stop it, but arrows and a large battle ax came down and decapitated the demon before it touched me. It dissipated into the Fade revealing Bull and Varric around it. I dropped my head back slowly with a grateful sigh. The Herald moved over me and held out his hand to me to get up. I did and he pulled me to my feet gently with a smile. "Are you all right?" He asked and I nodded as I slid my daggers into their loops and swept stray hairs out of my face.

"Yes, thank you Trevelyan." I replied and looked down at his palm and mine glowing as the rift sparked. I nodded and moved aside for him as he moved forward and extended his hand up towards the rift. A pulse of fire shot up my arm, but it was not nearly what it was before. The rift suddenly snapped shut and the strain left my palm. I looked around and then to the others. "Did anyone else notice the speedy circle things?" I asked and he shrugged his shoulders as he looked down at his palm.

"I don't know. But, something wasn't right. That was no normal rift." He said and I nodded at that as the gates opened.

"Maker have mercy! It's over; open the gates!" A woman called from the opposite side of the steel contraption. Cassandra pushed to the front of the group looking to an Inquisition scout as they ran up.

"Lady Cassandra. We spread word the Inquisition was coming, but you should know no one here was expecting us." The scout said to us as we gathered inside the gate. The Herald visibly flinched as he moved beside Cassandra blocking my view of the scout.

"No one? Not even Grand Enchanter Fiona?" He asked as he shifted his weight onto his right leg. The scout shook his head as he shifted his posture as well.

"If she has, she hasn't told anyone. We've arranged use of the Tavern for the negotiations." The Scout replied with a swift nod. Suddenly from around the corner came an elf in all brown looking right at us.

"Agents of the Inquisition, My Apologies! Magister Alexius is in charge now, but hasn't yet arrived. He's expected shortly. You can speak with the former Grand Enchanter in the meantime." He cut in, leaving just as quickly as he'd arrived. I stared at him as he went going over his words in my head. _Wait, did he say Magister..? What would a Magister be doing in Redcliffe?_ We walked forward, the scout nodding for us to follow. We were walked through the town and I took notice to all the people that were here. They looked afraid, terrified really. _Hiding out from the Templars…_ I frowned to myself as we brushed past large groups of people clumped together in small groups near houses and what looked like a market. The scout took us further into the heart of the town, climbing up the stairs until we got to a wooden building with a sign swinging on the post just above the entrance. ' **The Gull and Lantern'** It read and the scout bowed his head to us and moved aside for us to go in. _I guess we're here._ We all filed into the cramped Tavern and walked forward when we saw Fiona sitting in the corner. She stood upon seeing us and nodded her head shortly.

"Welcome, Agents of the Inquisition." She greeted and I smoothly swept through the room beside Bull careful to not draw any attention to myself. I looked to Trevelyan as he nodded back to her in response. "What has brought you to Redcliffe?" She asked as she stared directly at the Herald.

"We're here because of your invitation back in Val Royeaux." The Herald shot back in a cordial manner. _Ever the noble._ Fiona frowned and tilted her head to him.

"You must be mistaken. I haven't been to Val Royeaux since before the Conclave." She explained with a twinge of genuine confusion in her voice. I squinted at her looking for any signs of a lie, but there was none.

"If it wasn't you who invited me here, who was it?" Trevelyan asked and I felt a surge of adrenaline kick up in my blood, an itching sensation that I wanted to scratch so much. It felt like a trap, and we walked right on in. I didn't move, however, we were surrounded by Mages and it made me uncomfortably aware that I couldn't take out all of them.

"I… I don't know. Now that you say it, I feel strange…" She trailed off as she looked down at her feet and shook her head. "Whoever...or whatever brought you here, the situation has changed." She stated as he green eyes scanned over us only briefly flashing over me as I tried as much as possible to go unnoticed. I was best in shadow, and thanks to this places shoddy lighting it was working pretty well for me. "The Free Mages have already...pledged themselves to the service of the Tevinter Imperium." She declared and upon that I felt Bull stir next to me.

"This right here is why you can't trust mages." He grumbled as he shook his horned and looked away. I nodded as I stared at her in confusion and anger. _Why would anyone want to be allied with those wrist slitting maniacs?!_

"Andraste's Ass...I'm trying to think of a single worse thing you could've done and I've got nothing." Varric said as he crossed his arms over his chest. Cassandra was next as she shook her head with wide eyes.

"An alliance with Tevinter? Do you not fear all of Thedas turning against you?" She asked incredulously and for once I agreed with her. This was absolutely crazy.

"As one indentured to a Magister, I no longer have the authority to negotiate with you." She replied looking back to Trevelyan who'd been strategically quiet. He nodded appearing very calm as he took a deep breath.

"Very well. Who's in charge now?" As if on cue the door opened and shut with a clang. We all looked over and I briefly noticed that Bull had moved in front of me, shifting our positions so that I was the closest to the wall and farthest from view. I cast him a confused gaze as the man entering the Tavern spoke up.

"Welcome, my friends! I apologize for not greeting you earlier." He greeted and I looked at him from around Bull. _Well there's a suspicious character if I've ever seen one._

"Agents of the Inquisition. Allow me to introduce Magister Gereon Alexius." Fiona introduced and my eyes followed the red clad man as he stopped in front of the Herald looking absolutely awe-struken.

"The Southern Mages are under my command. And you are the survivor, yes? The one from the Fade? Interesting." He added as he looked over Trevelyan with scrutiny. I was almost glad he didn't look at me, but what bothered me is that he said 'survivor'. Not 'one of the survivors'. Did he not know I also survived that shit!? Part of me wanted to correct him, but the more dominant part of me was extremely happy I wasn't getting the attention.

"I'd like to know more about this alliance between the rebel mages and the Imperium." Trevelyan replied looking extremely level-headed considering this Alexius guy was practically standing on top of him.

"Certainly. What specifically do you wish to know?" Alexius asked as he took a few strides back. I let out a silent sigh as my concealed hand released the grip of my dagger.

"I haven't seen any sign of Redcliffe's arl or his men." Trevelyan pointed out bluntly and I smirked as I shifted my weight onto my left leg. Alexius's smile never left his face as he nodded in understanding.

"The Arl of Redcliffe left the village." He replied simply, but I felt something very off about that. Arl's don't just leave.

"Arl Teagan did not abandon his lands during the Blight, even when they were under siege." Cassandra pointed out on the opposite side of Bull. I watched Alexius close as he nodded once more.

"There were...tensions growing. I did not want an incident." He replied with a grin that made my skin crawl. I was already on edge because of the fact he was a magister, but that grin would most definitely made it worse.

"Is it just me or is this guy giving off some seriously creepy vibes?" I asked barely above a whisper and saw Bull nod accompanied by Varric.

"The Grand Enchanter told me she was "indentured to a magister"." Trevelyan said with a frown tipping his lips.

"Our southern brethren have no legal status in the Imperium. As they were not born citizens of Tevinter, they also must work for a period of 10 years before gaining full rights. As their protector, I shall oversee their work for the Imperium." He replied swiftly, as if he'd rehearsed it in the mirror a thousand times.

"I'm not clear on when, exactly, you negotiated this arrangement with Fiona." Trevelyan asked as he looked Fiona over before turning his head back to Alexius.

"When the Conclave was destroyed, these poor souls faced the brutality of the Templars, who rushed to attack them." Alexius replied calmly as he looked back at Fiona. "It could only be through Divine providence that I arrived when I did." He added with smugness in his tone that almost passed for humility. Fiona pursed her lips, her eyebrows creasing as she looked over him.

"It certainly was...very timely." Fiona said slowly as she looked over at the Herald. I frowned to myself at this whole situation. Something seemed horrifyingly off about this Magister, my eyes however drifted from Alexius to a man around my age looking right at me. I stared back noticing something off about him too, but not in the same way. He seemed...sick. His skin was pale and he had a sheen of sweat on his forehead. He quickly looked away from me and focused on Alexius. I looked in between the two and suddenly it hit me. _A father and son…?_

"I'm here to get mages to close the Breach." Trevelyan replied, swiftly steering the conversation back to the matter at hand.

"Right to business. I understand, of course." Alexius agreed as he nodded and with a wave of his hand they both moved to the table together. "Felix, would you send for a scribe, please? Pardon my manners, my son Felix, friends." He said as the man walked forward and he dipped into a bow towards the Herald. Alexius looked back towards the Herald again. "I am not surprised you're here. Containing the Breach is not a feat that many could even attempt. There is no telling how many Mages would be needed for such an endeavor, ambitious, indeed." Alexius said as he looked over the Herald with interest. It was so...creepy. The way he was looking at the Herald like he wanted to kill him and praise him at the same time.

"I'll take every mage you can give me." The Herald returned evenly. Alexius nodded as he placed his hands on his thigh and leant forward.

"There will have to be-" He cut off as he looked towards Felix whose eyes were glazed over as he faltered. The Herald stood followed by Alexius as Felix stuttered in his steps and collapsed against the Herald. Trevelyan caught him with ease, but I noticed something interesting with Felix. His hand grazed against the Herald's and pushed something into the Herald's palm. Trevelyan noticed and closed his hand around it. Alexius gasped as he moved towards his son. "Felix!" Alexius's alarmed voice rang out through the Tavern, his hand extending towards him. Felix ran a hand over his forehead and shook his head back and forth.

"I'm so sorry! Please forgive my clumsiness, my lord." Felix apologized and I smirked at Felix, but it fell when Alexius stepped forward.

"Are you all right?" He asked as he touched his son's shoulder making me pause. Perhaps I was right...maybe Felix is sick.

"I'm fine, Father." Felix replied quickly, but Alexius didn't seem to buy it.

"Come, I'll get your powders." Alexius murmured to Felix before looking to all of us. "Please excuse me, friends. We will have to continue this another time. Fiona, I require your assistance back at the castle." Alexius announced before moving towards the door.

"I don't mean to trouble everyone." Felix said as he walked towards the door with his Father. Alexius turned just as he was about to open the door and looked to all of us.

"I will send word to the Inquisition. We will conclude this business at a later date." He said as he opened the door and left. I frowned as I looked to the Herald. His hand unraveled and I noticed the slip of paper in his palm.

""Come to the Chantry. You are in danger."" He read aloud as we moved around him. I placed my hands on my hips and grinned down at Varric.

"Sounds like a party." I chortled looking back up at the Herald as Varric chuckled.

"Try and take this seriously, Thedran." Cassandra grumbled as she looked to the Herald. "This could be a trap." She said to which the Herald nodded with a contemplative look.

"Or just someone being helpful." I pointed out with a smirk. Trevelyan looked in between us and nodded.

"Either way it is worth looking into." Liam declared and I slapped him on the back.

"That's the spirit!" I encouraged quietly and saw him shoot me a bemused smile as we walked towards the front of the Tavern. The Herald however stopped when a man stepped towards him. I felt my hand discreetly slide to my dagger, but I let it fall when I saw the man's forehead. _A tranquil?_ He quietly spoke to the Herald as I stood in the shadows of the room watching. Bull moved next to me and leant against the opposite side of the post that I was leaning against.

"Am I the only one who's got a bad feeling about this whole situation?" Bull asked next to me and I folded my arms over my chest shaking my head.

"Nope." I replied shortly as I sighed, my eyes settling on the Herald as he shook hands with the Tranquil, the cryptic note still clenched in his opposite hand. "However, I am intrigued."


	14. Chapter 14

Hey everyone! So, I apologize deeply for not updating sooner, Finals and all that junk ;) But, thank you all so much for sticking with me, you guys are legends and I love you all!

* * *

We walked up the stairs to the Chantry, the Herald and I both stopping for a moment as our palms sparked. I looked to him and he to me as we strode inside. I paused however my blades flicking from their sheaths as I watched demons pour out from a large rift in the middle of the room. A tall man with black hair swung his magic staff at a demon sending it in small pieces into the Fade. He looked towards us, noticing our presence and took a breath.

"Good. You're finally here. Now, help me close this, would you?" He asked, his black mustache moving up and down as he spoke. He had a familiar accent, the same as Alexius and Felix's. _He's Tevinter too._ I looked over his clothing as well, definitely Tevinter. I grinned however when I saw a couple of demons fall from the Fade.I ran forward slicing through the demons. The Tevinter man watched me as I flipped over a demon and drove my blades through its head and ripped them out. An appreciative look crossed his eyes and he nodded. He sent forward lightning at another monster that crawled from the Fade before I swept through and sliced across the neck of the creature. They were moving faster than normal and I noticed they were standing in a golden ring. _Just like before._ I turned to see the Herald drive his sword through a demon as Bull and Varric took care of another as the Herald drove his blade through the chest of a whisp. Cassandra looked to the Herald as she kicked a demon off her blade and nodded. I jolted, however, as the rift above me called to my hand. The pull of it making my hand snap forward, a heat pulsing from my palm making it glow brightly from underneath the glove. Tendrils of pain wound up my arm and I bit my lip as I pulled my arm back down. Liam ran up to me and snapped his hand up to the rift and closed it with a clap. I felt the Fade release me and I took a deep breath noticing the black haired man staring at me. The glow from my palm went away, not that it was very noticeable from underneath the glove. I nodded to the Herald as he touched my shoulder.

"I'm fine. It just stung." I reassured trying to make the worry leave his eyes.

"Fascinating. How does that work, exactly?" The raven haired man asked as he approached us. I looked to the Herald as we turned towards the man who chuckled at us. "You don't even know, do you? You just wiggle your fingers, and boom! Rift closes." He added with an interested tone. I placed my hands on my hips and shifted my weight.

"Who are you?" I asked as I looked him over. He snapped his fingers and grinned at me.

"Ah. Getting ahead of myself again I see. Dorian of House Pavus, most recently of Minrathous. How do you do?" He greeted and I felt a smile twitch my lips, but I swallowed it as he continued. "Magister Alexius was once my mentor. So my assistance could be valuable as I'm sure you can imagine." He added with a smirk.

"Are you a Magister?" Trevelyan asked and I felt my pulse speed up a bit in apprehension. He could be...he has the look to him. But, I knew Magister's and this man didn't _seem_ like one.

"All right. Let's say this once. I'm a mage from Tevinter, but not a member of the Magisterium. I know southerners use the terms interchangeably, but that only makes you sound like barbarians." Dorian replied saucily making a smirk spread across my lips.

"I like him. He's sassy." I murmured to the Herald to which Dorian turned his head towards me. Inspecting me for a moment as Trevelyan grumbled.

"Are you the one who sent that note, then?" Trevelyan asked and I folded my arms over my chest waiting for the mysterious Dorian to respond.

"I am. Someone had to warn you, after all. Look, you must know there's danger. That should be obvious even without the note." He replied as he looked from me to the Herald. "Let's start with Alexius claiming the allegiance of the mage rebels from under you. As if by magic, yes? Which is exactly right. To reach Redcliffe before the Inquisition, Alexius distorted time itself." Dorian finished and I felt my eyebrows lift.

"I hope that is less dangerous than it sounds." Trevelyan muttered not sounding very excited about this.

"More." Dorian corrected and from behind me I heard Cassandra scoff quietly.

"Well, sounds like a Tuesday." I interjected with a smirk. Trevelyan and Dorian both looked to me with bemused smiles.

"The rift you closed here? You saw how it twisted time around itself, sped some things up and slowed others down. Soon there will be more like it, and they'll appear further and further away from Redcliffe. The magic Alexius is using is wildly unstable, and it's unraveling the world." Dorian added with a morbid look to both of us.

"You're asking me to take a lot of faith." Trevelyan said and I frowned at him before looking to Dorian again.

"I know what I'm talking about. I helped develop this magic. When I was still his apprentice, it was pure theory. Alexius could never get it to work. What I don't understand is why he's doing it? Ripping time to shreds just to gain a few hundred lackeys?" He questioned as he shifted his weight and ran a finger along his mustache. From the corner of the room though, I noticed someone walk in. I stiffened, but relaxed when I realized who it was.

"He didn't do it for them." Felix filled in as he moved out of the darkness. Dorian looked over at him and nodded.

"Took you long enough. Is he getting suspicious?" Dorian asked in a quieter tone. I looked between them and lifted a hand to my chin. _Friend's maybe?_ They seem very familiar with each other.

"No, but I shouldn't have played the illness card. I thought he'd be fussing over me all day." Felix paused and looked over at Trevelyan and I. "My Father's joined a cult. Tevinter supremacists, they call themselves Venatori. And I can tell you one thing: whatever he's done for them, he's done to get to you." Felix said and I patted the Herald on the shoulder with a smirk.

"Looks like you have an admirer." I said cheekily to which he glared half heartedly at me for.

"And yet somehow I'm less than flattered." He grumbled towards me and I grinned as he looked back towards Dorian. "Do you have any suggestions?" He asked and I too waited for Dorian's answer.

"You know you're his target. Expecting the trap is the first step in turning it to your advantage. I can't stay in Redcliffe. Alexis does not know I'm here and I want to keep it that way for now. But, whenever you're ready to deal with him. I want to be there. I'll be in touch." Dorian said before walking off. He turned slightly and looked towards Felix next to me. "Oh and Felix, try not to get yourself killed." He said, his eyes falling on me before he left out of a back door of the Chantry.

"There are worse things than dying Dorian." Felix replied as the door shut behind his friend.

"Well this is exciting. I've never witnessed time magic before this." I said as I placed my hands on my hips and grinned towards the Herald.

"You have a very strange kind of optimism." He replied with a slightly amused tone.

* * *

We traveled back to the Crossroad village taking a detour through the woods. I sat by the fire, my hand running through my hair as I thought over the day. It had been late when we left Redcliffe and by the time we got here it was already dark. Varric sat next to me looking to the circle of curious townsfolk surrounding him. Telling some fanatical tale about a maid named Fran. Nothing I hadn't heard a thousand times. My eyes drifted over to the entrance where Cassandra had left to do a sweep of the area, but she'd left about thirty minutes ago.

"Is Cassandra back yet?" The Herald asked from over my shoulder. I looked back at him and shook my head. "Do you think something happened? This isn't like her." He replied and I shrugged as I looked towards the woods.

"Maybe she's just slow." I replied eliciting a worried frown from him. I sighed and nodded, "Ugh, fine. I'll go look for her." I huffed and he joined me.

"I'll come with you." He said and I nodded as we walked out of the small town. I kept my footsteps light as I followed the path that it appeared Cassandra took. Cassandra had very heavy and frumpy footsteps. If something did happen to her I wasn't surprised, by the look of her footsteps she was practically lumbering around like a bull. Quietly I moved along the path with the Herald and noticed the tracks stopped. "What's wrong? Why have we stopped?" He asked and I frowned as I looked around, but stiffened as I noticed other tracks around hers. _Ambush._ Where her footsteps stopped I saw a few broken branches. _Sign of struggle._ Someone took her, or from the looks of it a lot of someone's. I squatted down and ran my fingers along the ground where liquid was splattered.

"Blood." I muttered and from behind me the Heralds panic was so severe it was almost palpable.

"Blood?! Is it hers?!" He asked and I grimaced as I stood and looked around.

"I'm not sure. It's too little to be fatal, but whoever got injured, they might've left a trail." I said and he nodded as he moved with me. _This is just great. Way to go Cassandra._ I walked along the road looking for a blood trail and noticed drips every once in a while. The footsteps also helped, but they were getting lighter and lighter as we went on. These guys were good. Suddenly I heard a snap from my right and spun on my heels, my dagger drawn. The Herald flinched as he looked over at me and then down at his foot.

"Sorry." He whispered and my daggers dropped. _Seriously?_ I sheathed them again and looked back at the path shaking my head. He crunched another and I spun on him and held up my hand.

"You need to be quieter. If the people who took Cassandra are still around they could hear us." I whispered as I looked to him. He nodded and frowned.

"I'm sorry. I'll try to be quiet." He said as he looked away. _B_ e _nice_ , Varric's words chastised me in my mind. I sighed and placed a hand on my hip.

"Look, when you step just start with your heel and roll onto the ball of your foot and try to keep your steps light. Imagine you're walking on glass." I instructed to which he stared for a moment before nodding. I flipped up my hood and walked forward again hearing the Herald move somewhat quietly behind me. We walked all the way down the road and further past the bandits we'd taken care of last time we were here. I took off my hood and moved into the camp with the Herald. A scout was speaking heatedly with another as we walked in.

"I'm telling you something is wrong. Lisette is not back yet. She's never been late for her shift change. Not once. What if she's been mauled by a bear or...or kidnapped or something?" The one scout said while the other shook his head.

"That is a bit extreme. She might've just gone too far and is on her way back. Protocol is that we wait a total of 24 hours before we can file a missing person's report." The other scout said from behind a desk. His eyes suddenly drew to us and he stood immediately. "My Lord Herald, Lady Protector. What are you both doing here?" He asked quickly and I looked to the scout who was staring off angrily.

"The woman you were talking about, when did she go missing?" I asked and the man looked back at the other scout before looking back to me.

"I don't know. The last time I saw her was around 20 minutes ago." He said and I nodded and looked over towards the Herald.

"Around the same time." I told him and he nodded as he stepped forward.

"Can you show us where she went missing?" He asked and the scout nodded and we walked into the clearing and past the rocks. He pointed to a tree with an 'x' marked on it and nodded.

"That's her post. She marked it so she wouldn't forget. She's always on time and she doesn't leave her post ever." He said and I nodded not yet turning to him. I needed to follow her tracks and- "I-I'm not sure if this will help, but. I found this letter on one of the dead bandits." The Herald took the letter and I read it over his shoulder. _Orders. To hold the Hinterland position next to the Crossroads village._ The man looked to me and nodded. "The Mercenaries Fortress is the southwest from here. Or so it says in the letter." The man stated and I looked over towards the road leading southwest.

"Alright. We'll find your friend." I promised and looked towards the Herald who nodded to me.

"Write a letter to the Commander that The Lady Protector and I-"

"Wait, wait. I don't think this is something that the Commander would be very happy about if he found out. He would ridicule me for months and I don't think I could take that man's sassy yet oddly deadpanned version of scrutiny." I said and the Herald stopped before nodding again.

"Nevermind. Forget that letter. Come on Quinn." He ordered and I nodded with a smile. We walked quietly for a while before I looked over at him.

"You know. You're actually taking this quite well. Not your first rescue?" I asked and he looked over at me with a tiny smile.

"I look calm? I suppose that's good." He said mostly to himself. "In truth, I'm freaking out. How could I have let this happen?" He asked and I rolled my eyes.

"Cassandra getting caught is not your fault. If you'd personally delivered her to the Mercs...well then it would be your fault." I replied and he looked over at me for a long moment.

"True…i guess I'm not all too worried because you're here. You have a plan to get her out, right?" He asked and I rubbed the back of my head before shaking it.

"Nope. In truth I don't really plan." I said and he looked at me wide eyed.

"You...what?" He asked slightly louder than I wanted.

"That's Leli and Cullen's thing. Not mine. I come up with things on the fly and then make a plan through that. But I don't plan out every step. It's tedious and I hate it." I replied to which he stared at me wide eyed for.

"Maker we're going to die." He said and I glared at him.

"Hey! Have some faith in your Protector. I've gotten you this far haven't I?" I asked and he nodded reluctantly as we kept going. I stopped however briefly when I noticed a bird fly solo above the tree line. _A messenger bird?_ It certainly looked like one and it was headed back towards Haven. I shook it from my thoughts as we walked towards the front of the fortress and I pulled Trevelyan back behind some trees and a large bush. Two men stood at the front of the gate leading across the bridge. I needed to take them out first, but when I get inside there's no telling how many could be in there. There could be hundreds. I touched Trevelyan shoulder and nodded. "I'm going to get myself captured." I told him as he stared at me blankly.

"You are?-what? Why?" He asked and I held up a finger to my lips.

"It's the only way to find out where Cassandra is without a bunch of effort. I'm willing to bet you a silver that they'll put me in the same cell. However, I need you to stay here. I can't have you getting captured as well. Do you understand?" I asked and he frowned at me.

"I can't just let you waltz in there not knowing what you'll face. They could kill you!" He said in a hushed tone. I nodded in a nonchalant way.

"Kill me? Nah, it's impossible." I said jokingly and he looked me over for any sign of faking but found none. "Look, just promise me you'll keep your head down." I told him but he shook his head looking down at me with a scorning gaze.

"I'm not a child. I can handle myself." He grumbled at me and I paused for a moment as I looked up at him. I softened my eyes and placed my hand on his forearm.

"Liam, I know you can handle yourself. It's just that I'm an assassin, I've trained my whole life to do jobs like this. This is what I do best, so let me do it." I said and he frowned as he looked away.

"I don't like this." He said and I smiled at him.

"You don't have to like it. Oh, and hold these for me." I replied as I handed him my daggers before I pulled my hair down and shook it out.

"What? What will you use then?!" He asked surprised. I rolled my eyes, but smiled encouragingly at him.

"I'm sure they have weapons inside. I'm well versed in most. Plus I've got other weapons." I said and he frowned as he crossed his arms.

"I really don't like this." He grumbled as I mussed up my hair slightly and sighed. _I hate doing this._ I staggered out in front of the two men guarding the post. I looked around and moved in towards them. The two men jerked when they noticed me and I wobbled trying to act drunk.

"What're you doin' out 'ere? Yer not allowed to be 'ere." One of them men said as I walked forward and pouted as I looked around.

"Oh no. I was lookingfer my friend, Terrance." I replied as I looked around. "We were supposed to meet here in secret." I whispered loudly to them. "But he seems to be late." I pouted, placing my hands on my hips.

"Sorry miss no one by that-" The other man suddenly elbowed him in the gut and spoke up. I pretended not to see as I hummed to myself and looked around like a stupid, drunken girl.

"What he means miss is tha' he's right inside. Waitin' for ya." The man said and excitedly I clapped my hands together.

"Oh, thankyou, kind gentlemen. Would you be sookind as to bringhim here?" I slurred, internally laughing at the sly look they gave each other.

"Actually miss he planned somethin' for ya. Wanted us to bring ya to 'im." The one on the right said and felt my skin crawl, but played it off.

"Oh!...Wellokay." I slurred and let out a giggle before walking off with them as they held out their hands. I looked behind me and saw Trevelyan peeking from around the corner.

"What's your name miss?" The one on my left asked and I grinned.

"Quinn." I replied and they nodded.

"Well miss Quinn, he's just this way." They said as they pulled me along towards the lower area of the fortress. I smirked at the thought. Cassandra was probably in the dungeon. _Idiots._ My eyes slid towards the wall where a set of keys hung and I grinned as I pretended to trip and hit the wall. Sliding the keys into my pocket I groaned, but giggled as they pulled me back up in between them. "Careful there, don't want you getting hurt." The man murmured next to me before they pushed me into a cell. I stumbled clumsily before looking up at them with mock confusion.

"W-wait! Wait please?" I called out melodramatically as they shut the doors. They laughed and walked off and I held onto the bars. "Nooo, this isn't at all what I wanted." I added quietly and sarcastically as they left. I looked down at my hands with a grin. Their keys.

"Are you alright?" A woman asked from the corner and I turned to look towards her in the dim light. _That's not Cassandra._

"I'm fine. Who are you?" I asked and she stood into the light. She was pale with black hair and high cheekbones. Her pointy ears sticking out from her hair. _Dalish._ I observed and she leant her head forward with a silent respectful nod.

"Lisette. I am a scout for the Inquisition." She said and I lifted an eyebrow at her. Nodding I looked at the bars.

"I know who you are. A friend of yours was looking for you." I said and noticed a faint blush appear on her cheeks. My eyes widened slightly at her bashfulness, but chose not to say anything.

"O-oh...was it Scout Allen?" She asked embarrassedly and I shrugged towards her.

"Didn't give a name." I replied before looking back towards the bars and sighed. "Do you know where the Seeker is? I was looking for her, but she seems to not be where I thought she was." I said and she walked forward.

"They just took her. Maybe 10 minutes ago." She said and I nodded letting out a groan of annoyance. _She just couldn't make this easy for me, could she?_ Sighing again I took the keys I'd swiped from my pocket and unlocked the cell.

"Is there anyone else here?" I asked and she shook her head.

"Just me. There was a man here...but I think he might have...might have died." She said and I nodded as I opened the gate. "Are you with the Inquisition?" She asked and I nodded as I looked ahead for enemies.

"Quinn Thedran, at your service." I replied and her eyes widened as she scampered up next to me.

"You're the Lady Protector!" She practically yelled and I stuck my finger to my lips urgently.

"Yeah, I need you to be quiet. I cannot hear when you are yelling in my ear." I said as I walked forward. "Although I'm sure everyone could hear you." I grumbled as I walked through the long hallway and heard men coming our way. _Great_. I shoved her not unkindly into a dark corner and hid myself waiting for the men to approach.

"I swear to you I heard something." One man said and as they came round the corner. I waited as they walked out in front of me and moved from my spot. I moved behind the over on the left and snapped his neck. The other man turned with wide eyes as I grabbed his sword and ran him through. Grabbing them both I dragged them towards the corner I was at and hid them. Their slack bodies proving a bit difficult to move.

"Come on, and keep quiet." I ordered and she nodded with wide eyes as she moved to me. I crept through the darkness retracing the steps they'd taken to bring me down here and found the door. I held up my hand for her to stop and slowly opened the door and poked my head out. Nodding mutely I looked back at her and she moved out of the door behind me. I turned to her and pointed in the direction that I came in from. "Go down that hall and turn right. Run straight out of the fortress and don't look back. Get to the closest Inquisition camp and stay there." I ordered and her eyes widened.

"You're going to save her alone?! There are dozens of mercenaries here!" She reasoned loudly and I slapped my hand over her mouth.

"Maker's Breath could you be any louder?" I asked as I looked around her. She gave me an odd look before peering down at her shoes. "Look, there's no reason to freak out. I've got this." I replied confidently, but she didn't budge.

"No ma'am. I'm sorry I can't do that. I was told never to leave a man or woman behind. No single person could do this." She said strongly and I rolled my eyes.

"You underestimate my power." I replied like a dork before looking away. "But if you're so hell bent on not leaving someone behind. Think of it more as a strategic withdrawal on your part. I need to save Cassandra, which means I cannot also focus on you. Meaning if you get into trouble it's going to be significantly harder for me to get you out of it." I replied and she nodded affirmatively.

"I'll be on my best behavior and do whatever you say. But, I refuse to leave you here by yourself." She said and I clicked my tongue as I looked around. _That sounds very familiar._ It was still dark out so I would still have a very good advantage.

"Ugh, fine. You can come along. But, anything goes wrong you run, got it?" I asked and she nodded and I moved forward along the hallway. "Question...did the Commander teach you those things?" I asked quietly and she nodded fervently.

"Yes ma'am." She replied quietly for once before looking at me again. "How'd you know?" She asked and I rolled my eyes as I kept moving forward through the dark hallways.

"It was idealistic and irritatingly noble. It must've been him." I responded and the smile dropped from her face making me feel slightly bad for popping her pride bubble. "But...it's a good motto nonetheless. An honorable one." I added and she looked up at me and smiled. I looked back towards the hallway and slid two throwing knives from their pocket as we moved through the dark cautiously. I came to a stop and looked over to see two guards standing at the door facing away from us. Silently I threw both knives forward and. The girl stopped, her hand on her mouth. She looked horrified as her eyes moved up to me. Averting her eyes quickly she move forward hesitantly as if she were suddenly afraid of me. More guards turned the corner and I quickly dispatched them as the girl caught up to me. Looking left and right I nodded for her to go towards the left. Running along the hallway I looked beyond the balustrade and slid my daggers in place to scale the ladder. "Wait here for a moment while I check up here." I ordered and she shot me a worried and amazed gaze at the same time. It reminded me of a look Cullen gave me when I told him to push me across the frozen lake. Her pointed ears flattened slightly as she looked beyond me.

"Be safe. Please." She said making a string pluck in me. Why did it sound so much like worry? She didn't know me. I gave her a confident smile and shot her a two fingered salute as I climbed up the ladder. I got to the top of the ladder and I looked around, but saw no guards. It was silent, the air ducked from the room making standing in the middle of the room a tad unsettling. A slow smile came to my lips as my heart pumped adrenaline through my veins. _Here we go._ I ran forward silently using the shadows of the night to disappear and reappear through the fortress. Slipping my hood over my face I continued to pad down the hallways. As if on cue I heard a grunt of confusion. I slid quickly behind a wall as the man came around looking for me.

"I coulda sworn I heard something." He said and I grabbed his mouth as my hand came to the back of his neck.

"Where's your leader?" I asked and the man tried to turn his head, but I stopped him. He lifted a shaky finger and pointed down the hallway.

"The room with the balcony. H-He's in there." The man mumbled through my hand.

"And the Seeker is she in there too?" I asked and he was about to say something, but I cut him off. "A nod will suffice." He paused and nodded feverishly. _Good._ I pulled my arm around his neck and held it with my other arm. He gasped as he tried to claw at my hands, but he fell to his knees, his clawing growing weaker and weaker till he hit the floor. I nodded and pulled him into a corner and hid him. Moving along towards the room with a balcony I paused when I heard laughter coming from a door that was held ajar. I walked towards it, the light cascading out and into the hallway illuminating me slightly as I stood in the crack of the door trying to see what was going on.

"Those bitches don't know what's coming for 'em!" A voice from earlier said and I felt my lip twitch down into a scowl.

"Inquisition said they'll give us the ransom for the two girls. Be here in the morning to give us the money. Boss'll be so happy, maybe he'll let us nab some of those pretty townswomen." The other said and I fought the growl that rumbled in my throat.

"Inquisition thinks they can fuck with our money! We'll plough their women and send 'em back in pieces!" The man cheered and I pushed the door open and the laughter died down. They turned to me and the man with a mug still in his hand glared. "Whothe fuck're you?" He asked drunkenly as the other stood.

"It's that bitch from earlier! She's escaped!" He exclaimed and as quick as a whip I vaulted over the table and cracked my foot against his skull. The drunken one stood and tried to pull his sword, but I threw a knife and it embedded in his hand making him drop the blade. I grabbed the hair of the man across the table as he howled in pain and slammed it down into the table splintering the wood.

"Filthy pigs." I hissed as the man by my foot tries to get up. I delivered a kick to his chin and he fell backwards unconscious. I looked to the drunk as he laid groaning against the table. I looked over and saw a bowl of apples. Grinning maliciously to myself I got to work.

Once I was done I walked out of the room and took a bite out of an apple I'd picked up. Looking towards the hall again I waltzed forward as I took another bite out of the red apple. I opened a door quietly as I nonchalantly strolled in and saw a throne on the opposite side of the room made from some type of leather with antlers sticking out of random places. Rolling my eyes, _ugh a mercenary with a superiority complex._ I looked towards the balcony seeing a man standing next to it looking over his table. A map with red pins in it laid under his hand as he flipped a coin in his hand. I walked over to the throne and sat down in it. In a chest next to it I saw a red gleam and opened it to see a blade amongst other treasures. Its red glow calling to me as my hand reached out and grabbed the hilt. It felt good in my hands, a surge of power lighting my veins from the light, yet deadly blade. I spun it in my hand, nodding with an appreciative look and took another loud bite of my apple. His ears perked up and he turned quickly towards me.

"How'd you get in here?!" He asked a bit louder. I grinned as I took another bite.

"I walked." I replied shortly as I looked over at him lazily noticing the scowl lines on his face.

"And who are you?" He asked as he took a few steps forward, his hand on his axe. He was a rather large man with black armor that reflected the moon's light just at its peak over the mountains.

"I'm with the Inquisition. Didn't we tell you we'd be here in the morning?" I asked and he stiffened.

"And the ransom?" He asked as I took another bite. Swallowing, I wagged my finger at him.

"The Inquisition does not negotiate." I said and he snarled at me.

"Not even for The Lady Protector?" He asked and snapped his fingers. I looked towards the far door as men walked in from the next room dragging in Cassandra. "Behold, we have captured the great Quinn Thedran!" I looked Cassandra and then back to him and let out a rich laugh. I couldn't stop either, my abs hurting from how much I was laughing. "Wh-what are you laughing at?" He asked as my laughing subsided and I sat back up in the chair.

"Oh sweet Maker, that's too funny!" I laughed chuckled and stood pulling out my daggers. "Never mind. I don't want to spoil the surprise." I said as I looked towards Cassandra who was slightly conscious. _Drugged probably._ She didn't have any signs of injury. I looked back towards the leader and glared. "Now, let my friend go or I'll kill you all." I threatened hearing the Leader laugh.

"A small thing like you? Killing all of us? That's rich!" He laughed and his men started to laugh as well. I laughed along with them when suddenly the Leader stopped and glared. "Kill her." He hissed back I grinned and got ready. The men surrounded me only three of them, which was quite funny. Spinning the glowing dagger and a knife in my hands I saw the first man charge, followed by the second. I slid past the first and caught the blade of the second. He pushed against my blade, but I wheeled around behind him, releasing his blade and driving mine into the junction between his shoulder armor and upper arm. He cried out as I kicked him in the back sending him sprawling into his friend. The third man charged me and I flipped backwards through the air in front of him bringing my foot to his chin. From the collision his head snapped backwards and he collapsed. I grinned to myself as I landed and looked to the other two men on either side of me. They ran at me at the same time, both blades extended. Just as they got close I slid down into a split and rolled away. They ran each other through unable to stop as I bounded to my feet. I was about to turn when I heard the crack of a whip and my head snapped to the side. I turned my head back slowly towards the person holding the whip and touched my cheek. Blood ran down it from where the whip had grazed me. He whipped it at me again, but this time I held up my wrist and let it coil. With a yank I pulled the man forward and drove the glowing blade in between his ribs as he stumbled close. He released the whip and fell to the floor. Three down, all that's left is the Leader. Suddenly a ball rolled around near my feet. It released a smoke around me that was so thick I could taste it, like death and lilacs. I coughed and gasped for air as I threw myself from the gas. My limbs felt off and my lungs felt contracted. He laughed as I wheezed,

"You like that? Bought it off a man in Val Royeaux. A toxic gas that paralyzes the enemy and makes their breathing...very painful." He enlightened as he walked towards me. I tried to move away, but he was right. I was paralyzed in place on the floor. I looked up at him as he held his axe up and grinned maliciously. "You were a good opponent. I'll give you that." He said and brought the axe down when suddenly a figure came out of nowhere and toppled the Leader over. My eyes widened as I looked over and saw a girl getting up and backing away from the leader. She ran back towards me and tried to help me up.

"My Lady we must retreat! Can you walk?" She asked and I shook my head trying to force myself to speak.

"Get-out-of-here! He'll kill you-" I choked, but he was already moving forward. She ran towards him and held up a blade much too big for her. He easily disarmed her and chucked her away into a far wall. She crashed across the table and landed with a thud. "Lisette!" I cried and looked towards the Leader stalking forward towards her as she fought to stand. I forced my body to move, but it barely responded. He raised his axe and brought it down towards her. Panic set in me as she rolled away and kept rolling as he attacked. I pushed myself upwards as he brought the axe down again. In a crouched position I watched her roll again, but this time she moved into the far wall. Trapped. He raised the axe and was about to bring it down again. Her eyes were wide with fear as she stared up at him. I tried to force myself to move, but I couldn't. My heart pounded loudly in my ears as my eyes widened in fear. "No!" I cried, but his axe didn't stop. Suddenly a blade shot out and countered the blow. My eyes widened even more Trevelyan parried expertly. I smiled slightly as he pushed the man away from Lisette. The man backed away and Trevelyan held out his sword towards the Leader as he walked towards me. His eyes shifted to me as I fought to stand.

"Are you alright, Quinn?" He asked and I nodded, wincing as the feeling of my lungs being crushed was going away. He looked towards Cassandra and then back at me. "Is Cassandra alright?" He asked to which I nodded again.

"I think so." I replied, but heard the Leader growl.

"Get out of my way boy or you will die as well." The Leader hissed making Trevelyan snarled. My eyes widened as I looked him over. He seemed different when he was like this. The usual gentle Trevelyan was now fearsome and brave. It took me by surprise to say the least. _He isn't the same from when we went to go see Mother Giselle… he's changed._

"You want them you'll have to go through me." He hissed and I stared at him in complete shock. _He even sounds different._ The Leader attacked and Trevelyan parried moving to the side before striking back. His movements were practiced, but stiff. Like he'd done them a hundred times, but against targets that didn't move. I took heavy breaths, gaining my composure as Trevelyan fought. He was doing well, very well actually until the man punched him in the stomach with the handle of his weapon and whipped his gauntlet against Trevelyans face. Liam was thrown to the side and onto the ground. I jumped over him and kicked the Leader in the head with a roundhouse. He stumbled back as I looked to Trevelyan.

"Thanks. I'll take it from here." I said and attacked the the Leader. _Time to end this._ With much effort I threw myself at the man and swiped my blade across every bit of flesh I could see. He stumbled backwards in pain towards his balcony before letting out a growl and attacking again. I smirked and leapt onto a box to give me a boost before driving my glowing blade forward. Sliding past his axe the blade ripped through the metal of his chest plate and embedded itself into his breast making him gasp in shock. He backed away and gripped the blade in his chest as I looked at him from my crouch. He wobbled slightly backing into the wooden balcony. "By the way, I'm Quinn Thedran." I said as before I leapt upwards and planted both feet onto his chest and grabbed the blade. Flipping myself off of him, I shoved him forward. He flew backwards snapping through the wooden railing and falling to the ground. I landed on what was left of the balcony and looked over the edge with a grimace. "Well… I can't be sure, but I think he's dead." I quipped looking away from the splatter that was once a man. The Herald moved next to me and peeked over the edge making a gagging noise and covering his mouth.

"Sweet Andraste's knickers that's disgusting." He gagged as he looked away. I nodded in agreement and looked to Cassandra.

"Go check on her. I've got Lisette." I said and he nodded walking over to Cass as I checked Lisette who was in the corner unconscious. I lifted an eyebrow and checked her vitals. _Must've just passed out._ I concluded as I tapped her cheek being kind of gentle. "Hey, Lisette. Time to wake up, we've got to go." I murmured, but she didn't move. I frowned and shook her again, but she was still out cold. I sighed and looked back to Trevelyan who had gotten Cassandra to stand after giving her some kind of potion. She was still incredibly out of it and could barely move, but at least she was standi- _Nevermind._ I thought to myself as she toppled back down to the ground on top of Trevelyan. I chuckled as I rose to my feet and walked over to them. "Should I leave you two alone for a moment or…?" I trailed off with a grin as I looked down at him. He glared up at me from underneath her.

"That's not funny." He grumbled as he pushed her over to the side gently. "Help me with her." He added and I nodded helping him pull her to her feet and she mumbled against my ear.

"Thedran?" I nodded and she grumbled something to herself that I couldn't make out.

"Can you manage? I've got to get Lisette." He nodded and swung Cassandra into his arms. I grabbed Lisette and slung her onto my back before moving out of the room.

* * *

We trekked back to the camp and I smiled over at Trevelyan who seemed to be struggling a bit, but Cassandra was starting to come to and held onto him. Which was elevating some of the weight.

"You fought really well. Have you been training?" I asked and he looked over at me shocked before nodding.

"You're not going to yell at me running in there after you?" He asked making me shake my head.

"That's the Commander's thing. You saved Lisette and possibly me. You're a hero, so congratulations are in order I believe. Maybe when we get back to Haven we can drink to this? I know Bull would love any excuse to get hammered." I chortled and he nodded with a grin.

"I'd like that." He said with a smile and paused. "I have been training though. Cassandra is helping and I've been attending some of the Commander's soldiers training routines. He's a very skilled swordsman." He said and I nodded.

"I know. I fought with him before we attempted to close the Breach." I agreed as we walked up the path to the camp where the Bandits encampment once were. "Why don't you get Cullen to train you privately. I'm sure he wouldn't mind." I pointed out, but he shook his head.

"I couldn't. He's already a very busy man. I mean he barely sleeps." Trevelyan replied with a frown. I stared for a moment wondering if it was true. _Did Cullen really not sleep?_ I frowned too, but decided to move on from that for a moment.

"Is your cheek alright? It's starting to bruise." I pointed out as I nodded to where the Leader of the Mercenaries had hit him. He shrugged and smiled at me.

"It'll heal. Plus, I've heard that women dig bruises and scars." He replied with a wag of his eyebrow. I laughed loudly before shaking my head.

"Well, you're not wrong." I replied with a grin we moved over the hill. "Hey, Trevelyan?" I said as I adjusted Lisette on my back and moved to the top of the hill. "I'm sorry about what I said back on our first mission and for being so harsh on you. It was wrong of me to ask so much of you." I said and he looked over at me with a smile.

"Thanks, Quinn. I...well you weren't wrong. I'm in the middle of a war if I like it or not. You need to know should the need arise I'd be able to protect myself and maybe have your back as well." He replied and I smiled placing my hand on his shoulder. _Interesting, maybe this man could be our salvation..._

"I know that now." I replied and he looked over at me with a wide grin as we got to the top of the next hill and looked down towards the camp below. Both of us stopped. In front of us the camp was bustling with Inquisition members. I looked over to Trevelyan as he gulped and walked forward. A scout ran up to me, one I recognized from earlier. _Scout Allen?_ I nodded to him as he looked at Lisette over my shoulder, his eyes wide.

"Is she…?" I smiled and handed her over.

"She's fine. Just let her rest and have something for her to eat when she wakes." I suggested and he nodded as he pulled her gently into his arms. We approached the camp and I flipped up my hood before moving away from the Herald.

"Where are you going?" He asked and I turned slightly.

"You are their Herald. Let them believe you did this. Plus...I've never liked the limelight. I'll be around though." I said as I turned and went around the front entrance to the side to wait as he walked in. Inquisition soldiers murmured around him as healers came and took Cassandra into a tent opposite to the one Lisette had been taken into by the scout. People started to clap and cheer for him as he entered the camp. Cheers were also heard for him and soldiers and scouts alike all raised their fists for the Herald. Trevelyan forward a smile on his face as he nodded to the men and women around him. I felt a smile tug at my lips as I hid between the tents. I looked over for a moment and saw a flash of blood hair disappear into a tent and froze. _Did I just see who I think I saw? No, he wouldn't be here...right?_ I walked out of the hiding spot as everyone cleared the area mostly. I moved to the Herald as he stood outside of Cassandra's tent. I was about to speak up when a scout moved to us.

"Lady Protector. Lord Herald, the Commander wants to speak with you." He informed and pointed towards the third tent to the left. "He is in that tent." He said and I stared at him in confusion.

"Wait. So the Commander is here?" I asked in shock before turning to the Herald who had a very guilty look. "Did you write the Commander like I said not to?" I asked and he cringed.

"I-well...Yes and no. I found an Inquisition bird in a cage saying that they'd be here in the morning to give the ransom money signed by him. So I scrawled on the back what you were doing and sent it back to the Inquisition. I knew you could save her yourself and they wouldn't have to negotiate. I had no idea they were planning on storming the fortress." He added quickly and I felt my shoulders sag. I sighed and patted his shoulder.

"Right...well have fun with that Herald. Give the Commander my regards." I said as I started to walk off, but the Herald grabbed my cloak.

"Oh no you don't. You're not leaving me to talk to that man alone. You were the one who insisted they go in without an ounce of help." He grumbled as he pulled me back. I groaned and shook my arms.

"Fine." I grumbled as I walked forward with him to the tent.

"What are the chances that he's in a good mood?" Trevelyan asked sounding a bit worried. I tapped my chin thoughtfully as I stopped at the tent.

"Well... We're about to find out." I said and he lifted an eyebrow as we walked in. The tent was brightly lit with candles with a small desk that Cullen was standing at. His eyes flicking up at us before he stood completely straight, his head grazing the cloth of the top of the tent. I leant over to the Herald and quietly in his ear I said. "Yeah...I'm going to say our chances are very, very slim.."


	15. Chapter 15

Hello, Lovelies! Here is Chapter 15, I hope you all enjoy and if you like it let me know! I love hearing from you guys! -Batcat1020

* * *

"What were you thinking?" Cullen rumbled as he looked in between us, but mainly at the Herald. He's tense, more than usual. His brow furrowed, lips only a small pale pink line on his face. Even though my mind screamed otherwise I felt a sarcastic smile pull at the edge of my lips as I regarded him.

"Well hello to you too, Cullen. No, 'Are you alright, Quinn?' 'Would you like a seat?' 'Maybe a drink?'?" I replied with a short, flit of my hand. His eyes moved to me and I fought not to cringe at the annoyance I saw in them.

"I am in no mood for jests." He replied shortly as he looked back to the Herald. "You two could've been killed. Not to mention Cassandra and that scout." He grunted looking to Trevelyan who looked away with a frown. It was odd, he only seemed to be directing his anger at the Herald, but I couldn't figure out why.

"It was my fault as I'm sure you're already aware of. I decided to go in there. I told the Herald not to contact you. So, don't fuss at him." I interjected taking Cullen's gaze off Trevelyan as I stepped forward towards him.

"Oh believe me, I'm aware. However, this was just as much his fault as it was yours." He said as he shot a pointed look towards Trevelyan. "Do you realize how reckless this was?" He asked as he looked at me. "I expected this from her, but not you. You ran into an enemy stronghold blind and with no reinforcements. You could have died." He added as he folded his arms over his chest. _He did have a point._

"Quinn was my reinforcement. She was sent by Andraste to protect me and I trust her with my life, so if she goes in I go in with her!" Trevelyan replied strongly and I froze in shock for a moment. _What?_ Trevelyan looked back at me momentarily as a wide, cheesy grin appeared on my face accompanied by a minor blush. I looked at Cullen and shrugged as he looked to me.

"Yeah, what he said." If Cullen wasn't irritated before, he certainly was now. He pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head.

"That is not-"

"We had no choice. We didn't know what was going on. Cassandra could've been dead or dying for all we knew. We decided to act." Trevelyan interjected strongly and he stepped next to me. "I apologize for our recklessness Commander, but what Quinn did does not deserve such rebuke. She put her life on the line for a fellow Inquisition member who was in danger. I merely helped her." He said and my eyes widened as I peered over at him. Cullen looked at us both with an unreadable gaze. _Huh, well this is not what I expected._ Cullen gestured to me as he stared at the Herald.

"I am not negating the fact that she was sent by Andraste, however everyone has their limits. Even her. You must understand that even if she was there you could've been seriously hurt." He paused as he placed a hand down on the desk. "What you did was noble, but-"

"Commander, you should know he saved that scouts life and very possibly mine." I interrupted and noticed Cullen stop to look at me, his eyes drawing to the cut on my cheek as if seeing it for the first time. He took a long moment of silence as if contemplating what I was saying. I sighed and looked towards Trevelyan. "In fact,Trevelyan handled himself very well." I added and saw him turn to me with a smile.

"Thank you. That means a lot coming from you." He replied with a wide smile. I rolled my eyes and bumped him with my elbow.

"Don't go getting mushy on me." I replied with a grin on my face. Cullen looked between us incredulously when the tent flap was abruptly pulled open and both Trevelyan and I turned to look.

"Commander. We've assembled the search groups to go to the fortress like you said. They're leaving now." He informed to which Cullen nodded in response. The soldier then looked to the Herald. "My Lord Herald. You asked to receive notices on Lady Pentaghast's condition. She is still only slightly conscious, sir. But the healers say she you may see her if you want." He said before exiting the text with a bow. Trevelyan looked back to me with a short nod

"If you'll excuse me, Commander. I am going to go check on Cassandra." He said and placed his hand on my shoulder as he turned to leave. "I'll see you later, Quinn. Perhaps for that drink when we return to Haven?" He asked and I smiled up at him.

"I'd like that." I replied as he smiled back, his eyes flicking up towards the Commander quickly before exiting the tent. I watched him leave, before looking slowly back up at Cullen.

"What was that about?" I asked him watching him frown. "Usually you just yell at me." I added making him pinch the bridge of his nose. "I much prefer that in comparison. I almost felt a little left out." He grunted quietly as I leant against the table he was standing next to. I turned from him and played with a quill that was on the desk.

"There was no point in lecturing you. _You do not listen_." He replied from behind me making me grin.

"Still... I figured you'd at least try." I mumbled looking over at him with an inquiring gaze. He looked tired, like he hadn't slept in days. His hair was a bit disheveled accompanied by facial hair that looked like it hadn't been trimmed in a bit. Not that I was complaining, I rather liked the rugged look. I mentally sighed, but quickly scorned myself and drew my eyes away. _Bad Quinn._ He rolled his eyes as he placed his saddlebag on the table.

"I fear if I did, I'd only be repeating myself and I dislike doing that." He replied dismissively as he looked up at me. "However, don't think for one moment that I approve of your actions." He added gruffly as he looked me over. _There it is._ I grinned as I looked down at my hands which were still speckled with blood that wasn't mine.

"I knew you wouldn't and that's fine. Just be a bit less harsh on him." I said as I ran a finger over the soft feather of the quill. "He just wants to help. To feel useful. But treating him like a child doesn't help that." I admonished calmly and noticed him look towards the front of the tent and then at me.

"He is younger than most of my recruits and severely less experienced. If treating him like a child keeps him alive, perhaps it is not such a bad idea." He replied and I nodded.

"Point taken." I replied as I spun the quill tip against the pad of my pointer finger. "He handled himself well, though while I was...indisposed." I added drawing out the last part and noticed him move forward towards a stack of papers on a small table next to me. He paused however, and looked over at me, his eyes looked to my cheek again.

"Indisposed? What do you mean by that?" He asked and I busied myself with twirling the quill again.

"I guess I have you to thank for his improvement. He says that he has been attending some of your training lessons with the troops." I replied, blatantly ignoring his question. He gave me an odd look as he paused once more in his packing.

"I have not been training him." He replied making me shrug as he looked over the table, but then back at me quickly. "Wait. Quit dodging the question."

"What question?" I asked as I looked over my shoulder at the paperwork splayed out on the table. A letter to Leliana regarding my 'capture' catching my eye. He was about to say something else when I interrupted. "You know, I can only imagine how good he'd be if he were to have one on one lessons." I added as I looked back up at him, but he frowned with his arms crossed.

"I will ask him about that. Now, answer my question about the 'indisposed' comment." He replied in a grumble eliciting an eye roll from me.

"Oh that, truly it is nothing to discuss. A mere miscalculation." I replied nonchalantly with a little wave of my hand. "Now, back to the Herald-"

"The Herald can wait. Tell me more about this 'miscalculation'." He looked intent on getting answers, but I frankly didn't want to tell him. There was a serious chance I could've died. I couldn't move, couldn't breathe. I shook my head slightly annoyed at his persistence.

"Look, if it's all the same to you, I'd rather not talk about my shortcomings with you." He watched me as a frown spread across his lips. With a roll of my eyes I turned fully towards him. "I'm fine now. Is that good enough?" I asked as he drew his eyes back to mine and nodded.

"I guess it will have to be."He paused as if he was trying to form the words in his mind. _Probably more complaints with my actions._ "Q-My Lady, I apologize for being so harsh. Cassandra is a friend and a key member to the Inquisition, but so are you and the Herald. You had us all very worried." He said as he ran a hand along the back of his neck _._ "Honestly I am just relieved that you and everyone else are safe." He added as he looked back towards my cheek. "You are alright, aren't you? I noticed your cheek, are you otherwise damaged?" He asked as he took a step forward, but stopped as if he thought better of it. I kept the frown off of my face as I watched him, confused at why he'd stopped himself. He didn't seem to care before if he invaded my space, or I his.

"Just a few scrapes. Takes a lot more than sub-par Mercenaries to take me down. I did however leave a few interesting finds for your soldiers." I replied with a wide grin. He tilted his head in confusion as I let out a giggle.

"What did you do?" He asked suspiciously and I was about to tell him when a yawn interrupted me. I covered my mouth as it passed and shook my head.

"Sorry, you'll just have to wait." I apologized as I rubbed the sleepiness away from my eyes. "Andraste's ass I'm tired. Killing baddies really takes it out of ya'." He chuckled quietly and nodded seeming a bit more relaxed than before.

"I can imagine. Or maybe you're just out of shape." He joked and my eyes widened at the realization that he'd just joked with me. I let out a breathy laugh and folded my arms as I clicked my tongue as I pushed away from the desk.

"Huh, no one has ever accused me of that and I've been accused of a lot." My comment elicited an eye roll from him as a grin lifted that sexy scar up his face. "Well, I guess we'll just have to test that, won't we?" I asked with a grin to match his, noticing his falter slightly. I side-stepped him humming to myself as I moved to the tent flap and looked back at him briefly noticing a blush on his cheeks. He straightened as he looked over at me as I bowed my head respectfully, but was interrupted yet again by a yawn.

"Perhaps you should get some rest." He advised with a twitch of a smile on his lips as I turned back to the tent entrance and pulled it open giving him a short wave.

"You read my mind." I agreed tiredly, but he held up his hand.

"Oh, fair warning. Bull and Varric were none too pleased that you left them behind. Bull said something about leashing you to the campsite next time." He said with a hint of laughter in his voice. I rolled my eyes and nodded as I walked out of the tent. My eyes went to the Healer's tent that Lisette was in, a scout pacing outside of it looking worried. _That's the Scout she was talking about and from earlier...what's his name again?_ I walked over to him, but he didn't notice. "Scout Allen?" I asked making his head shoot up to look at me.

"Lady Protector! I'm sorry, I did not hear you approach." He replied quickly before wringing his hands.

"Not a problem. What's the matter?" I asked making him cringe. His brow furrowed and his hands twitching as if he was trying desperately to remain calm, but failing miserably.

"The Healers won't let me see her. They said they needed to further examine her." He replied as he looked back to the tent. I lifted an eyebrow, but my mind flashed to when Lisette had been thrown over the table like a rag doll. A frown graced my lips, but noticed my reaction made his worse, his hands wringing worriedly. I grabbed ahold of his shoulder and forced a confident smile onto my lips.

"Hey, she's a tough girl. Tougher than most I've met." I replied trying to offer him a bit of comfort. He looked over at me a small smile working at his lips. "Are you…together?" I asked and he blushed looking away quickly.

"Uh...No ma'am. I...Well, I haven't gotten up the courage yet. Do you think...do you think I should try?" He replied eliciting a nod from me before another voice broke in.

"Get her flowers, I hear that always works." Varric piped up from behind me. I turned my head to regard him as he smiled at Scout Allen.

"Pink. Ladies love pink." Bull added next to Varric, the two nodding in contempt at their own idea. I smiled, looking back at Scout Allen who nodded.

"Will that really work?" He asked making me smile.

"Flowers work on every girl." I reassured and he nodded with a bright smile before running off towards the open field outside of camp. I turned to my companions, but when I did I saw both of them with their arms over their chests looking mildly displeased. "Uh...Hey guys." I greeted awkwardly as I looked around for an escape route. "You know I was just about to go take a nap. So-" I turned, but Bull grabbed me by my collar and picked me up only to place me back right where I was standing before.

"Oh, no you don't, Boss. When I signed up I expected to do some fun stuff like _killing mercenaries._ Not sit in a camp on my ass while you have all the fun." Bull grumbled as he looked down at me.

"I-well to be honest I didn't know what was going on until we got to this camp. There was little time so I couldn't very well sprint back to get you." I replied and he snorted, but nodded in an understanding way.

"I'm surprised Curly let her out so quickly. We imagined you'd be in there for another hour." Varric replied as he nodded his head towards Cullen's tent. I shrugged to them with a short, apologetic smile.

"He actually didn't fuss at me that much. He seemed sort of relieved..." I replied thoughtfully, but caught the smirk they shot at each other. I looked in between them in confusion. "What was that look about?" I asked cautiously as they looked back at me.

"Nothing you need to worry about, Angel." He replied making me lift an eyebrow.

"That sounds very vague and unconv-" I was interrupted however by another yawn. My eyes formed tears as the yawn subsided and I rubbed them away with my sleeve. Bull chuckled at me as I wobbled slightly. "Shit, I'm tired." I groaned looking around at the cramped camp. It was still dark out, the sun probably not rising for another couple hours. I looked back towards the tents, but shook my head. _The soldiers needed beds more than I do_. "Hey, I'm going to take quick cat nap." I said and they looked at me oddly as I walked to the front of the camp. My eyes drew to the tent that Cassandra had been placed in and I paused. I wasn't sure why I did, maybe out of curiosity if I'd hear anything. But, it was silent except for the occasional movement. Part of me wondered if she'd thank me for saving her... _Hah. Good one, Quinn. Nugs would start flying if that ever happened._ I smirked at my own joke before looking around to see if anyone saw me stop before continuing into the clearing. I sat down in the middle of some grass and flowers on the opposite side of the small hill. My body rolled and relaxed, each muscle feeling a tad painful as they loosened. My eyes drew up to the sky, the stars winking at me as the calmness of the world lulled me. The blackness of the sky now turned slightly green from the Breach that consistently mocked me. The Herald would close it, and when he did the world would go back to normal. _But, what will I do? After everything is done and the Herald has defeated the threat… They wouldn't need me here anymore._ I pondered it for a moment, I could stay and help with any leftover rifts and demons, but they have soldiers for that. Maybe Leliana would have work for me? No, probably not...My eyes closed as I came to my conclusion. _I'd leave. There's no reason for me to stick around if I'm not needed. I cause too much trouble._ My heart clenched and shoulder ached at the thought of the demon. The knowledge that he was still coming for me and that he wouldn't stop; it was troubling to say the least. But, I have killed him before and I can do it again. _Last time, I nearly died. If Tayen and my Father hadn't done what they did, I would have. Now they're both gone_. Speaking of which, these people that killed my Father, they were also still a problem. _I'd take care of them myself._ Alone. Same with the demon. I wouldn't hesitate this time. They would fall and I'd finally be free. _Or would I? Would my life be a constant battle to stay alive? To run and hide and fight._ Maybe one day I'll find peace, but that day seemed like a hazy dream. It was probably wrong to think about stuff like that. A form of personal torture. But, still I imagine myself by the ocean living in a small cabin with a mabari. I smiled to myself at the familiar hopeful dream I've constructed over the years. Ever since Tayen and I got engaged, I imagined myself standing by the rocks as the ocean crashed softly. The spray splashing on me gently as the sun set under the horizon. Sometimes I can still imagine him with me, but over the years his face has faded from my mind. My train of thought halted for the moment. Beside me I heard footsteps moving through the grass, the loud footsteps almost covering up the second pair. They plopped down next to me on either side.

"Mind if we join you, Boss?" Bull asked and I shook my head as I looked up to Bull and Varric.

"By all means." I replied as they both laid down on their backs and folded their arms behind their heads. I smiled fondly and closed my eyes again.

"Hey Quinn." Varric spoke up and I opened my right eye to look over at him.

"Yeah?" I asked him as he nodded to himself.

"Good job saving the Seeker today. Felt like someone should say it to you." Varric said quietly next to me, a small smile coming to my lips.

"That was the Herald." I replied quietly to which Bull chuckled and patted my head a tad roughly.

"Sure it was, Boss." Bull rumbled eliciting a soft laugh. After that everyone was silent letting the sounds of nature lull us to sleep.

* * *

" _Let me go! Don't you realize who I am?!" Knight-Commander Jorgens cried angrily as I pushed him through the hallways of the Conclave._

" _Knight-Commander Jorgens. 5"12', brown hair, drinking problem ever since your son, William, died in the last Blight. Your wife is Elaina Jorgens, but you're fonder of your mistress, Valeria Coruse. A court mage. How very kinky of you." I commented as I pressed the dagger into his back. He yelped quietly as he turned his head towards me with a glare._

" _You bitch! I'll see you hanged for this!" He cried making me smirk._

" _I think you'll be beating me to the noose on that one, Knight-Commander. Unless you can somehow swing the vote with the Divine and the Council." I replied, noticing him stiffen greatly._

" _Wh-what do you mean?" He asked as he looked back at me briefly._

" _The Divine knew someone was planning something naughty. That's why I took time out of my busy schedule to do some thwarting. She has already written up a statement of execution for whoever was trying to carry out such nefarious plans. She was hoping to not have to use it. I imagine she'll be very disappointed." I replied as I pulled him around the corner._

" _You don't understand! Mages are a curse on this world! They're dangerous and need to be eradicated!" He cried making me roll my eyes._

" _What a cliche. You know, it was kind of difficult to defuse your plan I think I deserve some originality." I grumbled as I pushed him forward towards the Divines chamber. She said she would be waiting in there. We approached the door that the servants would take around back and noticed two men standing guard. I squinted at them in confusion._ _ **Odd.**_ _I walked up to them and nodded. "I am here to speak with the Divine. She is expecting me." I announced and they looked at each other and then back at me._

" _The Divine is not feeling well at the moment. Come back later." The man on the left instructed. I looked them over cautiously._ _ **They're lying.**_ _From inside I heard cries, muffled by the large door but it sounded like the Divine._

" _Someone! Help me!" Her cry for help made my fingers twitch next to my hidden blades. They looked at each other and then back at me. I looked to the Knight-Commander and threw into the man on the left and sliced the throat of the man on the right. The man on the left pushed the Knight-Commander into a wall, but wasn't quick enough to stop me as I drove my blade into his chest. He gurgled with eyes wide as he fell off my blade. I looked to the Knight-Commander who was unconscious on the ground before I pushed the door open with my daggers at the ready. However, when I entered I saw not the Divine nor anything really. Just a black hallway swirled with green. I stepped in and looked around in confusion when suddenly I heard a voice._

" _We have an intruder." The voice rumbled as red eyes lit from the green and black darkness. I reached for my daggers, but they were missing. I squinted as I saw someone at the end of the hallway. Their flashing green hand catching my eyes._ _ **Trevelyan?**_

" _Stop it! Who are you?!" He cried as I ran forward towards him._

" _Trevelyan!" I yelled and saw his head turn towards me._

" _Quinn?" He asked as he started to move towards me. My eyes widened exponentially when Tayen suddenly appeared behind him. I shook my head and ran faster._

" _Tayen no! Leave him alone!" I ordered, but he didn't seem to care. His smile was menacing, his teeth gnashed together. Trevelyan looked to me in confusion as he reached out to me._

" _This was your fault." He whispered as he brought a dagger up to Trevelyan's unguarded back. With a swift movement Tayen ran Trevelyan through, the tip of the dagger peeking out of his chest._

" _No!" I felt the scream tear through my throat, but it sounded distant as I watched Trevelyan fall to the ground. I skidded onto my knees next to him and placed my hands over the wound trying to stop the bleeding. His blood soaked my clothing as Tayen laughed coldly. I shook my head as Trevelyan choked out my name sounding afraid. "You're going to be alright. I won't let you die. I promise."_

" _Oh don't make promises like that to the boy, Quinn. This may only be a nightmare, but it will happen. And if it is not me then it will be my master." He laughed as he walked around us. I snarled at him before snapping my eyes back to Trevelyan. "You would be wise to give him what he wants. Everyone has their price. What is it you desire? Power? I can give you that." As abruptly as a curtain being torn away, the black and green swirled hallway was gone. Now I sat in the middle of a leveled city. Ruins burning around me, demons crawling from rifts everywhere. The Breach had consumed the sky, its sickly green color making everything look more horrific._

" _Isn't it beautiful?" He asked in awe, his eyes turning back to me with a gleeful gleam in them. "You will bring this on the world, my sweet. You can rule beside me and my master." He added with a wide grin. I stared up at him in confusion before looking back down at the Herald as he stared with half-lidded eyes._

" _No. I won't. I would never do that." I shot back angrily but he grinned ever wider and grabbed my chin dragging my face to his. My eyes blew wide as his lips, cold and dead landed on mine, but I was unable to move. He pulled away from my lips and smiled._

" _Then you will die with the rest of them." He breathed, still so close to my face, when suddenly the floor opened up and swallowed me whole. There was little I could do as I plunged into crimson water. My arms struggled to get back to the surface only to find a barrier above my fingertips keeping me below._

" _Quinn!" A familiar voice called as I thrashed in the water as my hands pounded on the barrier, but to no avail. Abruptly I was yanked through the water again and I left out a startled gasp. Arms of those I killed, and hands of ones I couldn't save dragging me further down. Their fingers biting into my skin as I fought for air. Tayen laughed above me as he looked straight down. Inexplicable mirth in his charcoal eyes as he watched me drown. My lungs burned as the water turned cold and I watched as a golden figure cut through Tayen. It's blade like the sun's first rays as Tayen blew away in a cloud of smoke, but it was too late for me. I convulsed as the air left my body as fingers gripped onto my shoulder._

* * *

I gasped awake, my heart throbbing painfully in my chest as a sheen of sweat coated my forehead. My eyes were wide as I coughed and held my waist. My lungs burned as I sat up inhaling and exhaling shakily. My hands shook as my lip quivered. My throat dry as my eyes watered, but I swallowed the tears. My heart pounded in my ears as I balled my fists up and forced them to stop their trembles. The long healed scar on my abdomen burning slightly in an uncomfortable way as if in reaction to seeing him in my dreams once again. I took in a few more deep breaths, putting those memories and nightmares into the back of my mind. I stood, a bit shakily, making sure to keep quiet as I looked over at Bull and Varric who were sleeping soundly.

"You alright, Boss?" Bull asked making me jump. I glanced over at him to see he still had his eyes closed. I took a deep breath before nodding.

"I'm fine. Just a nightmare." I replied as I started moving again. "Rest. I'll wake you both when we are about to leave." I added and he nodded as he wiggled his shoulders to get comfy again. I looked around for a moment and frowned with two fingers rubbing each temple. _These dreams are getting worse._ Images from the nightmare burned into my mind _._ I jumped slightly when a branch brushed my leg, growling in annoyance at my stupid fear I kept moving towards the camp. I needed to do something about them. _Maybe sleeping potions?_ That might work. I'll ask Adan about it when I get back to Haven. I pressed my fingers to my temples harder and groaned at the headache I felt coming on. I sighed and went into the camp looking for elfroot powder and maybe some tea. It'd be nice, but it's more than likely not going to happen. I looked around for an herbal bag, but all I saw were crates of various potions. I continued my search, but paused when I heard a discussion going on in front of the Commander's tent.

"Commander, here is the report on what we encountered in the Villa the Mercenary group was utilizing." A soldier said as he handed the Commander papers. I looked over for a moment before returning to look for the elf root and tea maybe even some food.

"Thank you. Did you encounter any difficulties?" The Commander asked as I opened up a bag and frowned when I saw it was just rags. I heard the soldier let out a short laugh.

"None, ser. When we entered the villa almost everyone was dead. One man was just waking up from being knocked out, we brought him back for questioning. We sent him ahead with the soldiers you ordered to head to Haven. However, when we questioned him he said he didn't really see who'd done it, but that it had been a woman. Then...We found something very interesting." He said and Cullen nodded for him to continue as I looked over at him.

"Go on." He replied as he folded his arms.

"Uh...Well there were two men who we found hog tied on top of tables with apples stick in their mouths. Like...Pigs sir." He explained and I chuckled as I high fived myself. "They were barely conscious, but a man kept murmuring about a girl in red. We believe he might've been talking about the Lady Protector." He said and I smirked as I looked back towards Cullen who was looking at me.

"And the Leader?" Cullen asked and I smirked as I shrugged and looked away.

"We found him on the rocks…he took a great fall from the balcony at the top of the Villa." The soldier said and I folded my arms over my chest as I stood up straight. _I couldn't find the stupid elfroot, but thank the Maker we have useless embrium. I mean really, what would we do without that?_ I sighed and rubbed my temples, but let my hands fall as a healer walked out of Lisette's tent and moved towards me.

"My Lady." She announced and I stood straight to regard her. "You were the one who brought the scout back, correct?" She asked, her eyes showing concern. I looked around me and nodded.

"Um...Well, yes." I replied and she nodded as she looked me over.

"I thought so..." She replied with a frown pulling at her wrinkled face.

"Is something wrong with her?" I asked and noticed her frown stomach twisted slightly in confusion as I looked down at the older woman. Her greyish green eyes revealing a deep sadness.

"I cannot do more for her here. Where I am a healer I lack the kind of healing she needs. I fear only a Mage can help her now." I shook my head as my eyes widened slightly.

"I thought she was fine." I replied, my voice more confused than I would've expected. "Other than being unconscious she did not seem otherwise harmed." I folded my arms awaiting her answer as she sadly clasped her hands in front of her.

"I'm afraid her injuries were more severe than we thought. We healed up the bruises on her body, but there was internal damage. She is coughing up blood sporadically, but we cannot seem to find the cause of it. She also has a fever that won't go down. Her health is diminishing quickly. I wish there was more we could do, but there isn't." The Healer said and I frowned as I folded my arms over my chest.

"Oh… That's too bad." I responded as I looked towards the tent. "She seemed like a nice person." I added and suddenly someone made a sound of indignation from behind me. I looked over as did the Healer and noticed Scout Allen standing there with an angry glare in his eyes.

"That's too bad?! That is all you have to say?! You were supposed to save her and now she's dying and you don't even care?!" Scout Allen questioned as he got closer and snarled in my face. His nostrils flared, eyes narrowed. I kept an impassive look on my face, but internally the comment had pissed me off.

"Am I supposed to?" I asked coldly and I noticed him stiffen with wide eyes.

"How heartless could you possibly be?" He asked crudely. I was about to respond when I heard someone break in from behind me.

"Hold your tongue, Scout. You are talking to the Lady Protector." Cullen's voice appeared over my shoulder, but Scout Allen didn't seem affected. His eyes kept their constant glare on me. His chest was heaving as his hands clenched and unclenched.

"To answer your question; if by heartless you mean that I am not jumping at the idea of prolonging her suffering like a fool. Then yes. I am a black, empty pit inside." I replied with a slight glare, but otherwise masked my emotions well.

"She has time! The Healer said she has enough time to maybe get back to Haven. Please. You have to try. I-I love her." He professed and I stared at him with my arms still folded over my chest. "Please. I'm begging you to help her. She's a good person."

"Good people die all the time, Scout Allen. Loved ones die just as often." I retorted and he started to shake, tears coming from his eyes.

"Please, Lady Protector. She told me about you. She looks up to you. Why won't you save her? Why won't you save someone who _really_ needs saving?!" He wept making me flinch. I looked from him to the Healer with a frown. "I'm begging you. I'll give you all the coin I have." He begged, and tore my glare away from the boy to the Healer.

"Could she make it to Haven?" I asked to which she frowned.

"Not in a caravan, but if you were to ride with her on a horse. You might just get there, or it is a very real chance she could die on the way there." She said scornfully, pointing it at Scout Allen. "She could stay here. Die in peace and comfort." She told me, but directed it mostly to Scout Allen. He shook his head and looked to me, his eyes still puffy with tears. He looked to me.

" _Please."_ He begged me. I pinched the bridge of my nose

"Will she be good to carry?" I asked and the Healer frowned and nodded.

"Perhaps." She said sounding questionable as she looked back at the tent.

"Prepare her for travel." I ordered and she nodded. Scout Allen's eyes widened and he looked to me with a gaping mouth.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" He cried, but I moved away from him. He then reached into his pocket and I listened to the slight jingle.

"Keep it. I'm not doing this for you or your coin." I replied icily and he nodded mutely as he looked back to the tent, his eyes lingering.

"Haven is more than a five hours away. If her health is declining as badly as the Healer said... She won't make it." Cullen voice said from over my shoulder. I jumped a little as I turned to him forgetting he was there.

"I have to try." I responded adamantly noticing the unsure look in his eyes. "Scout Allen was correct, whether he realized it or not." I added and saw something in his eyes change.

"I understand that you want to save her. But, my Lady she could be in pain the entire time. Perhaps we should lay her to rest here like the Healer suggested. Where she is comfortable." He responded and I felt my temper rise. I didn't want to argue over this. I would feel wrong if I didn't at least try. Scout Allen couldn't have known, but she did save my life and if I didn't attempt to repay that debt...Well, let's just say I don't need yet another black mark on my conscious. "Are you listening to me?" He asked as his hand went to my shoulder. I shrugged it off and nodded as I looked up at him.

"She didn't leave me and she could have. I'm indebted to her." I replied as I looked up at him. He looked as if he were about to retort, but I shook my head. "If it were me, I'd personally be very pissed at you if you hadn't even attempted to give me a fighting chance. I imagine you'd be the same way." I added silencing his arguments with a look before sweeping off into the tent. Lisette became slightly conscious as she looked up at me. Her forehead was covered in a sheen of sweat. I flashed her a short smile trying to offer her some sort of comfort.

"My Lady? I feel hot. What's wrong with me?" She groaned making me frown as I looked up at the Healer.

"Can you give her something for the fever?" I asked and she nodded as she dug through a medical pouch. She handed me a flask of fluid before gently pouring the contents of an identical flask down her throat. Lisette moaned quietly as she relaxed. The Healer continued to prepare her for travel making sure she was covered in the scarce amount of clothing she was in, probably to try and lower her temperature. I heard the tent open and felt Cullen's familiar presence at my back. Looking over my shoulder I saw him look from me to the girl.

"Is she ready?" He asked earning a strange look from me. _Was he coming?_

"She is." The Healer said and pulled the covers away and I noticed the many spots of dark red blood on the linens underneath. The healer pulled a different blanket over her like a cocoon as my hands reached out to grab her. Cullen's hand touched my arm and pulled me back slightly in a gentle way.

"I'll carry her." He offered and moved in front of me, lifting her gently off the bed. Her head lobbed and I fixed it before walking from the tent and making for where the horses had been. Scout Allen looked at us as we crossed the camp and nodded.

"I would like to come with you." He stated and I looked to Cullen briefly. We shook our heads in union with each other and looked back to Scout Allen.

"No, and before you try and get all whiny and argue with me, I'll make this abundantly clear: I don't care if you love her or not. My priority right now is to get her to safety. You would slow us down. You will wait here and we will send word of her progress." I replied and we strolled past him. I stopped for a moment and looked back at him. "One more thing. Wake Iron Bull and Varric Tethras for me. Should they need any sort of explanation tell them I had to return to Haven with the Commander. That should suffice." I added and walked forward taking notice of two horses already prepared for travel. I looked to him and nodded. "Commander-"

"You can save your breath. I'm coming with you. Don't argue with me." He cut me off and I felt my eyebrows knit together.

"I was going to say thanks, but alright." I replied and was about to leap onto the horse on the left, but he stopped me and pointed towards the horse on the right.

"You'll ride on my horse. He's faster." He said and I stared at him for a moment before swinging myself into the saddle gracefully. I held out my hand for her and we gently helped her sit in the saddle in front of me. It was lucky for me she was so small. It would've been difficult had she been much bigger. I looked towards Cullen as he leapt with grace onto the other horse and with a nod from him we were off.


	16. Chapter 16

My eyebrows were knitted together as my eyes trained themselves dutifully on the path before us. The cold wind of the Frostbacks nipped at my flesh through my jacket, raising at the hairs as we got closer to Haven. It had been about three hours and we'd finally gotten out of the Hinterlands to where the earth was starting to get speckled with snow. Cullen's horse started to pant heavily, puffs of breath coming from its nostrils. My left hand released the reins and moved to her forehead to feel for a temperature. _Her fever is coming back._ I pulled back the reins a little to slow the horse. Cullen did the same and moved up next to me. He didn't question my stopping, knowing him he already had guessed it. Lisette stirred at the sudden change of speed, a small sound of confusion coming from her. I looked at the girl and felt her head noticing her shiver quietly. Her fever had returned, a sheen of sweat dampening my palm. She coughed loudly, her hand catching the blood that came from her lips. I frowned as I uncorked the bottle with my teeth and held it to her lips.

"Here, drink this. It'll help." I coaxed, spitting the cork on the ground before making her part her lips and down the contents of the bottle. After a minute or so her fever started to break, but she was still shivering. With a quiet sigh, I slid my cloak off and pulled it around her, clipping it shut in the front. She thanked me quietly as she continued to shiver, but far less.

"But, won't you get cold?" She asked quietly as she looked to me over her shoulder. I didn't look down at her as I shook my head.

"I'll be fine. You need it more than I do." I replied quietly as she nodded and released another cough.

"Where...are we?" She asked weakly as we trotted through the woods. I watched the trail guiding the horse as we bobbed along.

"Out of the Hinterlands, not far from Haven now." I replied softly as the wind whistled past us. She nodded into my shoulder stifling a cough. Cullen's eyes shifted to her, a kind smile on his face.

"How are you feeling?" Cullen asked her and her eyes widened slightly.

"Commander Rutherford?" She squeaked before coughing again. I rubbed her back as she continued to convulse.

"Calm down, kid." I murmured as I patted her back hoping she'd stop coughing. More blood splattered on her hand and I frowned as I leant over and pulled a clean towel from the pack and placed it in her hand.

"I apologize. I did not mean to startle you." He apologized looking over her as she blushed a bright pink. "Her face is very red, is her fever not breaking?. Do you have any more of those potions?" He asked and I looked down at her and rolled my eyes at his concern as I touched her forehead. I let out a quiet laugh as she stiffened and ducked her head in shame.

"I don't think the potion can cure a blush." I teased keeping my voice low. She let out a tiny, nervous laugh as her coughs started again. I frowned as the towel she was holding was splattered with bright red blood. She wheezed as she inhaled heavily. She looked like she wanted to say something, but her coughs were not permitting her. My eyes shifted to Cullen as he rifled through his pack producing a water skin. He handed it to me and I to her. She swished the water around in her mouth and spit it out before taking a gulp of water, gasping out a quiet thank you to him.

"Lady Protector I wanted to apologize for Allen yelling at you. He's a good man, he's just scared." She murmured eliciting a quiet breathy chuckle from me.

"I don't hold it against him. I've done worse things than yell at people for those I care for." I replied and she nodded as she leant forward again to cough.

"But-" she coughed again. "-what he said. About you being heartless. It wasn't right." She coughed again and I frowned as I rubbed her back, even though I knew it wouldn't help. Maybe it would be comforting? _Shit I'm terrible at this._ I wish I had my Mother's grace when it came to stuff like this. She was gentle and kind and always knew what to do in situations when comfort needed to be offered. I'm awkward and unhelpful in comparison.

"It was an interesting choice of words. Can't say it's the first time I've heard it though, and you know if the boot fits and all..." I said only slightly joking with her hoping my terrible sense of humor would comfort her better than my actions could.

"But, you do care." She protested causing me to pause momentarily. _What did she know?_ She didn't know me, what I've done. She's just acting on what she thinks she knows about me. I wanted to retort, tell her she was wrong that I didn't care. That I was heartless and cruel and cold. It would be easier, perhaps I could even trick myself. I remained silent after that. I didn't want to argue with a dying girl and I certainly didn't want to think about it anymore. But what she said bothered me because I did care and she called me out on it, even though I knew I shouldn't. I sighed and looked over at Cullen who averted his eyes quickly. He probably was thinking the same thing as her. Probably wanted to join in, in her argument that I was actually a good person. _Two peas in a pod these two._ It was in that moment that I felt it, the strange yet familiar sensation of danger rolling over me. My eyes immediately darted around us as I warned him by calling out his name quietly. He looked to me and then around in confusion.

"What's wrong? Did you hear something?" He asked quietly back. I shook my head 'no' in response as my eyes continued to scan for the unseen enemy. _That's exactly the problem._ I didn't hear or see an enemy, I just...got this feeling. My left hand stayed on the reins of the horse while the other reached for my dagger. The glowing blade that I still had humming to life under my touch.

"Is something wrong?" Lisette asked in front of me. I didn't respond as I watched for the enemies. Cullen placed his hand on the pommel of his sword, his eyes moved to me, but I didn't meet his gaze as I watched the trail. He moved closer to me and quietly spoke.

"Listen to me. If something goes wrong I want you to go. Ride as hard as you can back to Haven with her. I will take care of things and join you shortly." I frowned and shook my head refusing to look at him. _So that's why he gave me the faster horse._

"You're being irritatingly gallant, Commander. I am not inept." I replied and noticed him frown out of the corner of my eye. He sighed and shot me a stern look.

"Lady Thedran I'm ser-"

"Two people fair a better chance at survival than one." I replied as I finally met his gaze. He lifted an eyebrow at me momentarily quiet, but I knew it wouldn't last. _Ugh,_ I hate it when he acts as if I'm some delicate Chantry sister. The thought of it made me sick.

"You realize the irony in that statement, don't you? Considering past events." He asked as he pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. _Hmm, got me there._

"And you realize the irony of a Commander refuting the most logical course of action, yes?" I asked with a smirk on my lips. In response he lifted an eyebrow at me a flicker of a smile coming to his lips. He knew I was right. His scar twitched and I had to force myself not to look at it. _Damn that sexy scar. It's distracting. He's distracting._

" _Touché."_ He replied as we both drew our eyes back to the trail in front of us. The horses had stopped panting, but I still felt the looming danger around us. I noticed Cullen stiffen as my ears perked up. There was rustling in the brush up ahead of us and almost instantly Cullen leapt from his horse quietly. "Stay on the horse." He whispered as he held up his hand to me. He pulled his sword and walked towards the brush. I watched closely as I looped a finger through a throwing knife. The sound was so small either it was someone who was lighter than me on their feet or it was- Cullen hurriedly pushed the brush aside and pulled his sword up, poised for attack. The two nugs squeaked in fear as the one on top fell over and the two scurried over top of each other trying to get away from Cullen whose face showed a bright pink blush. I stifled a laugh and even Lisette let out a tiny breath. Cullen turned to us before dutifully moving right back to his horse. He paused as he grabbed the reins. "Not a word." He grumbled making my smile spread.

"I'm just glad you were here. Those terrifying beasts might've been my undoing." I teased noticing the blush that hit his ears. He turned a scowl on me before gently whipping the reins. I followed him, my horse trotting next to his when suddenly a loud roar sounded off next to my horse and I gasped as a mass of black fur launched itself at me from the elevated ground next to me. I couldn't react fast enough as the bears massive paw hit me in my side and knocked me off my horse. I hit the ground with a grunt and rolled onto my side to see the bear shaking the dirt from its coat as it watched me. _Sweet Andraste's Tits that thing is huge._ It's black eyes reflected my image as it moved forward, cuts and scars lined its body and face showing its victory over previous battles. I growled as I pulled my daggers and twisted into a standing position. The black beast roared and launched itself at me, its massive paws going for my waist. I rolled to dodge its attack before bounding up and driving my blade into its hide. My blades barely pierced it. _Shit._ It roared and slapped me away with ease. I tumbled into a tree, my back hitting the bark hard causing splintering pain all the way down to my toes. I smirked at the beast and readied my blades as it attacked again. My blades readied themselves for the attack when a shock of blonde hair tackled my attacker. My eyes widened as I watched Cullen roll away from the bear with his sword and shield raised. The bear roared at him and lifted a great paw before bashing it into Cullen's shield. Cullen glanced the blow away and drove his sword forward. The black beast roared in pain and pulled away before attacking him again. The bear pounded against Cullen's shield as I ran forward and slashed my daggers across its legs. It reared back and tried to knock me away again, but I dodged the attack which gave Cullen enough time to attack the bear again. My blade snapped into the bear's hide again, but this time I wasn't quick enough with pulling my blades out and it kicked me away leaving my blades in its side. I watched from the ground as it launched at Cullen with more fervor than before and tackled him. I gasped and scrambled to my feet. Cullen grunted as he held his shield in front of the bears attacks, still pinned against the earth. I ran forward and leapt on top of the bear and wrapped my arms around its neck putting it in a headlock. It tried to knock me off, but I didn't let go as I continued to strangle it. Abruptly the bear threw its back onto the ground and me with it. I pulled off just in time to miss being crushed as I scrambled for Cullen's sword. The bear roared towards me as I grabbed the sword a few feet from Cullen. I spun and slashed upwards with the heavy blade. Blood sprayed as the bear tumbled onto the ground past me breathing its last breath. I wobbled slightly from exertion and looked to Cullen who was watching me with wide eyes. He ran a hand through his hair to fix it as he panted. "Well, that was fun." I panted with a smile on my face as I shifted my weight. I heard him faintly chuckle to my right before he moved towards me. I lifted his blade and groaned at how heavy it was as I wiped the blood off it on my arm band.

"Maker's breath-that was, you were-" He paused as he collected himself. "You fought well." He complimented as he looked back at the bear. "I didn't know you knew how to wield a sword." I smirked before handing the blade over to him. I leant down and grabbed my daggers from the dead bear.

"That was hardly wielding, but yes I know the basics. Pointy end goes in the enemy." He chuckled as he looked down at me clicking his sword into place in his sheath. From beside us I faintly heard a wheezing cough catching both of our attention. Lisette wobbled on the horse and I rushed forth to catch her as she nearly fell off the horse. "Lisette!" I gasped as I looked up at her, blood dribbling from her lips. Her eyes were unfocused and clouded, her pale skin looking more ashen by the moment. I shook my head and looked back at Cullen feeling slightly panicked. "We need to hurry." I announced urgently as we both leapt onto our horses. Without another word we bolted off towards Haven as fast as the horses could carry us.

* * *

We rode hard into Haven, the horses hooves leaving clouds of snow behind us. I held onto Lisette as we came to the stables, her small frame seeming frail and broken with every tremble. Two soldiers were waiting by the stairs with a gurney and Leliana standing at the top looking directly at us. I pulled Lisette into my arms noticing her breathing was faint and shallow. I placed her gently on the gurney and the two soldiers took her straight towards Solas's cabin.

"We received your letter, Commander. Solas is ready to help the girl." Leliana announced as Cullen and I walked up the staircase. "Adan has also been instructed to help in anyway he can." She added as we moved towards Solas's cabin. The wise elf stood in front of the small house and opened the door for the soldiers. He looked to me, beckoning me forward with a wave of his hand. I obeyed and moved into the cabin with him. The two soldiers moved Lisette onto the cot and then exited the building as Solas walked around her.

"The Commander was very undescriptive when he sent the letter. I need to know what happened." He said as his eyes closed and his hands started to glow a soft blue, the same color from when he healed me.

"She keeps coughing up blood. The healers said that it might be a punctured lung, but they couldn't find anything like a broken rib that would cause it." I responded as he scanned her back with his glowing hand. She groaned quietly before wheezing again. I squated down in front of her and held up a towel that was originally sitting on the table next to me against her lips. She convulsed as she coughed into the towel, splattering it with red. I pulled it away, but found myself staring at it noticing small tints of other liquid in it that I hadn't noticed before. I frowned as I looked up at Solas.

"I need to know what happened to her. How was she injured? Could she have been poisoned?" He asked and I shook my head.

"An enemy threw her around a bit and rendered her unconscious, but she came in no contact with any poison, at least not that I know of." I replied and he nodded as he looked down at her again.

"Thank you, Lady Protector. I shall do my best." He said as I nodded and stood. Just as I did, the door opened and Adan walked in giving me a short nod as he held the door for me. I thanked him quietly before leaving. I exited the cabin with a frown trying to think back to anything that could possibly help her, but I was coming up blank. Unless she'd been introduced to a poison before I found her, but that didn't seem likely. Frustratedly I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed. _Solas can help her. I'm sure of it._ I looked forward and saw only a soldier standing by Adan's cabin. I frowned wondering where Cullen and Leliana had gone off to when I heard a soldier call out for me.

"My Lady Protector, Sister Leliana asked you to meet her in her tent." The soldiers informed with a short bow. I nodded back to the girl and walked towards the Chantry and turned left into her tent. She looked over at me from her desk with a short nod.

"You have been quite busy, my friend. Decided to do a little impromptu rescuing, hmm?" She asked with a well known smirk on her lips.

"You know me, ever the good samaritan." I replied. That seemed to be very funny to her because almost immediately she started to laugh. I lifted an eyebrow at her as I waited patiently with my arms crossed, but felt a smile pulling at my lips.

"Thank you, my friend. I needed a good laugh." She teased and I let out a small laugh too.

"Thanks for that." I grumbled, but couldn't help but smile. She chuckled at me before shaking her head some scarlet strands falling in her face. She looked less troubled today and that was a relief. I knew it wouldn't affect her work, she'd never let that happen. The death of the Divine had affected her greatly, I pray she doesn't blame herself.

"Quinn, I've been meaning to ask you, but to be honest I was not sure if I should…" She started as she turned back towards her desk. "I'm asking you as your friend, are _you_ doing alright?" She asked as she looked over at me briefly. "According to the Herald and the Commander you've been acting as if you are fine. However, Cullen seems to think there is more. He said before you left he mentioned your Father and you reacted strangely. Like you were-"

"I'm fine, Leli. I just…I need sometime. The Divine...And now my Father. It's just...I'll be fine. I promise." I replied. It was the truth, or at least a portion of it. She knew I wasn't telling her all of it, but she also had her own grievances to come to terms with. I couldn't put more on her plate. She nodded with a short smile before looking down at the reports under her palm.

"I understand, I just wanted to make sure you were alright." She said as she discreetly pushed the reports away, but I saw it. She knew I did almost immediately as I looked from her to the papers. She sighed and looked down at the papers. "I...had Solas examine the site where the Demon had appeared. Before Cullen left with the troops he was with him in case anything were to go wrong. Solas was able to figure out how the demon was brought here. Someone infiltrated the camp, a mage, possibly the man we captured. He summoned the demon with blood magic, but it also cost his life." She said and I frowned as I looked down at my hands. "We told him everything that happened, and he said that...the demon took you into the Fade or somewhere inbetween. Solas had to stop his magic because whatever demon came after you is powerful and old and some of his magic created a barrier of some kind to keep him out. I am sorry we could not find out more, but the Commander was worried if we pushed it then Solas might be harmed. We already put him at risk with asking him to do this." I nodded and hugged my arms.

"No, don't be sorry. The Commander was right, you all took a big enough risk for me and I thank you for that." I replied as she watched me carefully. "It is troubling though. All of this is troubling, however I cannot focus on that right now. When the Herald returns we need to speak of what is happening in Redcliffe. A magister is involved which is never a good sign." I informed and she nodded as she leant against the post in the middle of her tent.

"When he returns we will summon a war council and discuss exactly what happened." She said with a nod. I smiled and rolled my shoulders.

"Until then, Leliana." I replied and departed from her tent. I was walking nowhere in particular, my mind stuck on what she'd told me. This demon was old and powerful, which is nothing I hadn't thought. I'd read up on them after what happened to Tayen. My Father's library was expansive, but he didn't have much on demons and the life. When Tayen was turned into an abomination he had looked the same, not like the monsters that I'd seen in the sketches. Even the creatures that I'd seen in Dumonde. A shiver ran down my spine at the thought. Their skin so gruesome and purplish, bubbled and oozing. Their hands like claws and their eyes beady and unseeing. A voice so distorted and terrifying that it made my hair raise. The first time I'd seen one like that was a girl no older than thirteen in Dumonde. She was cornered by Templars, I hadn't realized she was a mage until I got close, until it was too late. She stabbed a blade into her palm and only a moment later her skin started to deform and she screamed as the demon came forth. My breath hitched in my throat at the memory of it and I shook my head attempting to clear it again. I paused in my steps when I found myself standing in front of my training equipment. Sighing I nodded and rolled my shoulders again. _I guess I should train. Kill some time._

* * *

 _1,2,3,4. 1,2,3,4. 1,2, 1,2._

My fists drove into the punching bag to the rhythm that I chanted in my head. I danced across the balancing posts landing punches with a few kicks thrown in just to spice it up. I was sweaty and hot, even though I'd long since abandoned my overcoat. It would be tempting to take off my shirt, but that might be a bit too much for the folk around here even if it was nothing to me. I focused on the bag again, my fists still landing hits on the bag to the rhythm.

 _1,2,3,4. 1,2,3,4. 1,2 1,2._

I was panting now from exertion. I'd been training for about two hours now and I was definitely starting to feel it, but I had this energy inside me that didn't want to stop. I glared at the bag as I continued my assault on the unlucky bag. The chains holding it squealed with every punch making me want to hit it harder, make it cry out louder to me.

" _Hey Quinn, there you are. I was looking for you everywhere." Tayen called out across the room as I continued to assault the dummies. He paused at the door, watching me no doubt as my muscles flexed with each punch. "How long have you been down here? I thought you were supposed to go see your Fathe...oh. What happened?" He asked as I grunted in annoyance either at him or at the dummy or at my Father, I wasn't sure._

" _I don't want to talk about it, Tayen." I replied as I continued to punch. It was the truth, I didn't want to talk about. I didn't even want to think about it. My Father's harsh critique on my last mission when I'd done exactly what I was supposed to. I'd pulled it off without a single flaw and he'd had the nerve to pick out anything to the minor detail that could've gone wrong. He'd told me I'd get myself killed, that I'd be a sub par assassin who only relied on luck to survive. That I was slow because I didn't train as much as I should, which is ridiculous. Then only times I'm not training is when I'm sleeping the sparse amount I'm allowed or eating or planning my next mission. Tayen's hand came to my arm and I shoved him away angrily. I didn't want him to comfort me. I didn't need it, but he offered it again. His hand grabbed my arm a bit more forcefully. He spun me and pulled me into his arms, crushing me to his chest._

" _You don't have to talk about it, but I know you need me." He whispered as he hugged me. His head resting on top of mine. With a deep breath I nodded and held onto him for comfort, neither of us saying a word._

I panted as I continued my assault on the bag. My fists leaving indentations for seconds after the punch left the bag before returning to its usual form.

" _Sloppy. Someone could easily snap your forearm." My Father critiqued from behind me. I growled, pausing before returning to attacking the bag. I watched my movements, nothing I was doing was different than what he'd taught me. He suddenly grabbed my shoulder roughly and wheeled me around. "Are you listening?" He asked in an annoyed tone. He spun me and held up his fists. "Attack." He ordered and I did so, throwing punches at him the way I'd rehearsed on the bag when suddenly he grabbed my arm and twisted before bringing his palm forward quickly jabbing at my thin forearm. I gasped in pain at the cracking sound that shattered my eardrums. My Father still held my arm in his hand a look of anger lighting his sharp features. "I told you." He growled as my shock muted the pain in my arm, but for only a moment. "You are supposed to be my daughter, the best of the Guild. You cannot afford to make such mistakes or you make me look weak." He said as he walked around me with an impassive gaze, the pain in my arm hitting me like a crashing wave. I bit back a scream as I held my bruising arm, my eyes fitting into a glare fixed at the ground._

" _I'm sorry, Father." I spat. "I'll try harder."_

" _Good. Now go to Evangeline and get that healed. Your training will continue in two hours." With that he left me in the training room, the door clicking behind him._

There was a faint ache in my arm at the memory of his cruel lessons, but I didn't stop throwing punches. The image of the bag being replaced by my Father as I imagined pummelling him into the ground, breaking his arm the same way he'd broke mine. Anger renewing my strength, no longer feeling the burn of exertion in my muscles.

" _He did WHAT!?" Tayen practically yelled as he paced the floor in front of me. His eyes moving away from me and my broken arm as Evangeline whisked towards me elegantly._

" _Tayen...please calm down. I will heal her to my best ability-"_

" _You shouldn't have to Evangeline! She shouldn't even be in here! I've seen her fight, there is nothing wrong with her form!" Tayen argued as he continued to pace. "That son of a bitch! This is the fourth time that he's done something like this to you in the past two months! I'll kill him for this." He growled as he looked me over and I saw the pain almost outweighing the anger. Evangeline set my arm back in place and I bit my lip as I looked away trying to hide the pain. He was next to me in a second. His hand touched my hand and I wove our fingers together for comfort. His other hand came to the back of my head and he held me against his chest._

 _"I apologize, Quinn. There should be no more pain from here on out." Evangeline spoke up quietly as she continued to heal the wound._

" _Yes, until the next time he decides to cause her harm. Then she'll be in here again, only next time it might not just be her arm. Maybe a rib or her clavicle?" He seethed at her, but it didn't make her pause as her cool touch continued to heal my arm._

" _It's not her fault, Tayen." I remarked, chastising him for his rude tone towards kind Evangeline. The woman who had been the closest thing to a Mother I'd had since my real Mother died._

" _No, it's his fault." He hissed as he held me. About an hour later she'd finished with my arm and had left us alone for a moment to get a mild pain reliever for any left over pain. Tayen hadn't let me go for as long as I'd been sitting here. His consistent comfort that he offered freely helped, but I could also feel the anger that he was holding back at my expense._

" _Tayen…" I called out quietly to him, noticing him stir out of his silence. He didn't move, except for a deep breath that he released before speaking._

" _I promise you, one day I'll take you far away from him. Somewhere where he can't hurt you anymore." His words brought hope to my heart, even though I knew that it would probably never come to pass. My Father would never let me leave. I would be trapped here for the rest of my life, a prisoner in my own home._

"What did that bag do to you?" Leliana called out and I paused my attacks to look over at her. She was standing with her arms crossed over her chest as I panted.

"What are you doing here? Not very often you join me for training." I pointed out eliciting an eye roll from her as she sacheted forward and jumped gracefully onto one of the balancing logs. I lifted an eyebrow as she pulled off her hood and hung it on the bar. I forced the memories that had just flooded forth back into the dark depths of my mind where they belonged.

"I want to spar. I thought it might be fun." She said as she placed one foot behind the other. I hardly had to force the smile that came to my lips as I mirrored her.

"Mhm, well then, by all means let us spar." I replied and she rolled her shoulders in preparation.

"Lets." She replied before attacking. I grinned and blocked several attacks by her, but my arms were starting to burn from so much use. I laughed gleefully as I continued to block and parry attacks. It wasn't a real fight, just one for fun. She knew I was already spent and I knew she wasn't going to actually fight me. Flurries of well aimed, but harmless blows glanced off by flawless deflections each practiced and perfect. We were well matched, she taught me a lot; most I already knew. After I'd left my Father's house, I had retained some of my assassin fighting style, but it had become crude and rough. She brought the 'finesse', as she called it, of the art back to my fighting. She laughed lightheartedly as we switched places and leapt around the training area. I pulled my daggers and tossed one to her and held the other in my left hand. A second later we both spun and brought the blades down towards each other. Both of us anticipating the next move of the other which for the last ten minutes had only resulted in a stalemate. She gave me an odd look as she eyed my left hand. "You're left handed now?" She asked as I attacked. She countered and I grinned trying to find a hole in her defences that I knew she didn't have.

"No, I just felt that it would make it a fair fight." I joked hearing her laugh loudly, but I could tell this threw her off. Part of the reason why I did it.

"You have gotten very cocky, haven't you?" She asked as I leapt over her and held the dagger at her back maintaining a close space with her, knowing she's prone to wide kicks and could easily kick me in the head if I'm not careful.

"I win." I cheered and she rolled her shoulders.

"Have you?" She asked as she nodded down towards her hand. In her _left_ hand was the dagger poised at my waist, nearly touching. With a roll of my eyes I scoffed at her. She let out a lilting laugh at my audible displeasure at her of her sneaky dagger placement.

"That was hot. Do it again, yeah?" A girls voice piped up out of nowhere, her voice high pitched and thick with an accent I couldn't place. Leli and I looked over, I couldn't see Leli's face but I sure looked as confused as I felt. I lifted an eyebrow as I looked to her companions and saw Cullen and Blackwall. "Look! Jackboot and Beardy have nosebleeds!" She shrieked and pointed at both their faces. They both touched their noses protesting in unison. She laughed and nearly fell over herself, grabbing her sides and once I realized what she'd said I felt a laugh bubble in my chest, but my confusion held it down.

"Uh, what?" I asked as I looked at her. The elf girl laughed at my confusion as I put my blades away and moved away from Leli slightly.

"Awe, no fun. Nice view that one." She said before her eyes widened. "You glow too, yeah? I heard about you! Are you a Herald thingy too? You fell from that green hole in the sky?" She asked and I looked to Cullen in confusion and then to Leliana. I leant over to her and gave her a strange look.

"Leli, am I having a stroke?" I asked as I looked at the girl. Leliana let out a quiet laugh as she covered her lips and nudged me either to answer the girl or to scold me I wasn't sure.

"Uh...my name's Quinn. But, I'm not the Herald, no." I greeted as I nodded to her eliciting a loud giggle from her.

"But, you glow?" She asked as she looked at my hand, but it was the wrong one. It suddenly clicked. I nearly slapped my forehead at the realization she was talking about my hand.

"Oh...my hand. Yes, the mark does...glow, you know sometimes." I responded as I tilted my head to her questioningly. She giggled again as she fiddled with the edge of her frayed sleeve.

"Name's Sera, you're a weird one, I like you. I'll see you around, Quinnie." She laughed and ran away. We all stared as she left and I shook my head in utter confusion. Leliana coughed into her hand shaking me out of my confusion. _What?_

"Can someone fill me in? Because I am very confused." I asked and looked to each of them.

"The Herald brought her back from Val Royeaux, she's...quite odd." Cullen clarified after clearing his throat. I looked from him to Leliana and then to Blackwall waiting for more information, but neither filled in.

"Is she...normal...well normalish?." I asked and Blackwall laughed shaking his head.

"She takes a bit of getting used to, but she seems to be normal. Actually kind of funny at times" He said and I shifted my weight.

"Uh...alright? I'll roll with it, she seems interesting if a bit strange." I responded to which Blackwall laughed.

"Strange and interesting? Sounds like someone else I know." He jested as he sent me a wink. My head tilted back as I laughed. "Seems to like you though." He added with a heart laugh.

"What can I say? I'm likeable." I shot back with a wink making him chuckle. Blackwall...He was an interesting man. A man who had the look of someone with many regrets, a man of secrets. I knew the look well, I wear it myself. Everything about him was dark and masculine. From his dark eyes to his dark beard and the tuff's of chest hair I remembered from the time I stumbled upon him bathing with Cullen. I felt a blush burn at my cheeks at the memory of the two men standing there with water running down their bodies-

"Warden Blackwall, I would like to speak to you. Could you lend me a moment of your time?" She asked and he nodded as his laughs subsided.

"Of course, Sister." He said and I let out a small sigh of relief that she had interrupted my thoughts. She turned to me a moment later with a stern nod.

"I received word from the Herald. They are about an hour away from here. Also, I left some reports for you in your cabin if you would like to look over them." She said as her eyes drifted to my hair which was probably matted with sweat and maybe blood...I hadn't checked. "You should go get cleaned up, Josephine left a surprise for you in your room." She added as she walked away with Blackwall. I watched them leave, but didn't for a moment forget Cullen's presence to my left. He wasn't looking at me, instead his back was turned as he looked over the large war machines that had recently been assembled. He looked as if he didn't want to be bothered as his eyes scanned over the trebuchet. The logical thing to do would be to leave, turn myself around and march back to my cabin without a word to him. The illogical thing to do would be to stay and talk to him; that option made me feel very nervous. Every time we've been alone recently in Haven it has resulted in an argument which leaves me feeling more than I wanted to. His deep cutting words and intelligent guesses hurt from how right he actually was. It made me want to watch my words even more than before around him. To hold myself back out of fear that I'd let reveal far too much. He had that effect on me, that power over my emotions. _It pissed me off._ He made me question myself, and my decisions. Part of me liked the challenge, but no one wants to be challenged constantly. Sooner or later it becomes more of an affront rather than just a challenge. _We're too different_. We'd probably never see eye to eye. A Templar and an Assassin. _**Ex-**_ _Templar and_ _ **Ex**_ _-Assassin._ I reminded myself, I've long since left that life and he seems adamant that he has too. Still, he was bathed in light and I in shadow. My very existence seemed to besmirch his integrity. He was a vision of righteousness, _how could he_ in good conscious be around someone like me? Someone who killed so many in the name of justice, when only the Maker should have been their judge. His light burned like the heat from his skin, so inviting and so dangerous while I'm sure that I seemed cold and dark, but equally as dangerous-

"Lady Protector, are you alright?" Cullen's voice shattered my thoughts, my eyes snapping up to meet his gaze. I felt a blush hit my cheeks not realizing he'd noticed.

"I-yes. I apologize, I was lost in thought." I replied slowly, drawing out the last portion of the sentence. He nodded in an understanding way with a short, polite smile.

"No need to apologize. I imagine you have a lot on your mind." He replied shortly, but there was something about the way he was looking at me made me think that he wanted to say or ask something else. I needed to leave before he did. I looked around and shot him a quick polite nod.

"Right, well I'll see you later, Commander. Have fun with your...calibrations." My feet started to move past him, but I saw him jump to attention as if going to stop me, but his hands never moved.

"If you need anything, I'll be here." He responded as he turned from me and back to his war machines. I hesitated for a moment, part of me wanting to stay, talk to him and spend time with him, but the more logical side of me told me to leave. However, my lips moved faster than my brain and heart had time to finish their war over the decision.

"Cullen." I called out, my voice surprisingly small sounding. He looked over at me from his paperwork, his whiskey eyes fixating on mine. "Later, Trevelyan and I were going to get drinks with Bull and Varric. If you want to come, you're more than welcome to." I added noticing his hesitation to take my invitation immediately.

"Thank you for the invitation, My Lady, but I have much to do." He replied with a frown gracing his scarred lips. I nodded, my lips mirroring his frown as I fiddled with the leather of my belt. I wiped the frown from my face and sent him a smirk.

"Well, if you have a moment to sneak away…" I replied as I turned from him, hearing him faintly chuckle behind me as I swept through the snow covered town back to my cabin with my two guards tailing me. I entered my cabin, the wooden door squealing, its frigid metal hinges protesting as the door swung open. Once inside I sighed and shook myself trying to shake away the cold when the warm moisture of the room caught my attention. My eyes flicked over to the corner of the room when I noticed movement. A small elf girl with short black hair suddenly bolted upwards and looked at me in shock. She averted her eyes quickly and down at the jug in her hands.

"Sister Leliana told me that you might require a bath. I have it ready for you." She said quickly and placed the jug down on the table. She looked very awkward, wringing her hands as she dutifully kept her eyes anywhere but me. "Sister Leliana told me to assist you, if you wanted." She said a blush rising to her cheeks. Her awkwardness seemed to rub off on me and I fidgeted with a short nod.

"Thank you. But, I prefer to take my baths alone." I replied and she sighed quietly before nodding fervently. "Plus you don't seem very comfortable with that." I replied and she nodded again.

"Not really, your Ladyship. Thank you. I shall leave you now." She said and I smiled as she scrambled out of the room. I looked at the steaming bath and peeled my clothing off piece by piece. The cold wind from underneath the window blew past my skin and made it prickle as I moved to the basin and sank into it. The warmth washed over my body and clearing my mind of thoughts. A soft moan escaped my lips as my eyes closed and I leant back against the edge of the basin. I laid there for a while, with my eyes closed my body sunk in the steaming water. I grabbed the jug from the side table and filled it with water and poured it over my head effectively soaking my hair. I moaned in pleasure again at the feeling of the warmth running over my skin like heated kisses running through my small frame. My hair was matted to my neck and back as I continued to dump the water on myself. The fireplace next to me crackled and popped with life keeping the exposed portions of my body warm as the rest of my body laid in the warmth of the water. I sank further in till it was covering my shoulders, my knees jutting out of the water. Looking over I saw a basket that had a bottle of liquid that was pink in color and I pulled it out and opened it taking in the sweet scent of cherries and jasmine. I looked over and grabbed the note, crisp and neatly folded with the faintest scent of roses.

" _Dear Lady Protector,_

 _I apologize for not being able to get you a nameday gift sooner. I asked Leliana what to get you exactly and she told me that you would like something to do with blades or training. But, I chose to obtain something...a tad more practical. You are a lady, and I imagine you indulge in the same things as Leliana does. (I did not get her this same set). Inside there is a bottle with pink fluid is a shampoo that Leliana and I both agreed on, the darker pink bottle is a conditioner for your hair. There are also an assortments of soaps, lotions, perfume and a candle. Also...I am sorry to hear about what happened to your Father, if you need anything you just need to ask. I hope this helps._

 _-Josephine"_

I smiled at the note and squirted some of the liquid from the pink bottle onto my hand. I slid my fingers through my hair and began to work the shampoo until my hair was covered in delicious smelling suds. It was soothing to say the least and I couldn't help but smile as I worked it through even more, making sure not to miss a single tress. I took the jug and poured it over my head with my eyes closed and continued to dump it until I could no longer feel the suds. I opened my eyes briefly and I grabbed the darker pink bottle and ran it through my hair. I dumped the water over my head again and rinsed all the oil out. I watched as the water ran a little red from flecks of blood that I still had in my hair. I grabbed the soap and began to clean my skin scrubbing and rinsing every bit of red off my skin.

The smell that surrounded me made me smile. The cherries and jasmine now mixed with snowberries was so familiar... Like the soaps my mother used to have that Father would get every time he visited Val Royeaux. I used to sneak into her room and take small amounts to wash myself with; they smelled much better than the plain smelling, but expensive soaps I had. My mother caught my once and I half expected her to be mad at me, but she only smiled and handed me a set of my own. My lips tipped up fondly at the memory of my Mother. My hand went slowly to the sparrow necklace she'd given me. The ruby encrusted bird slick with water as I played with it between the pads of my fingers. I lifted it up off my chest and kissed it to my lips gently. Sadness pulled at my heart as I curled my legs closer to my body. _I miss you, Mom._ She'd left me so long ago, but even now I miss her. I thought it would die out, that she would become a distant memory. My Father had said once that time heals all wounds, but I found out that was a lie. Time can't heal emptiness, it just makes it hurt less. Shaking myself from my thoughts I looked down at the water noticing that it had turned pink, but not from the soaps, but the blood that had been matted in my hair and exposed skin. With a sigh, I lifted my body out of the water and grabbed a towel close to me. Quickly I dried myself and wrapped my hair in the towel noticing clothing that had been laid out for me. I rolled my eyes as I shifted my feet to lean against my left leg. I pulled on the clothes, the cold air that seeped through the wooden cabin blowing past me. I slid my clothes over my body keeping the cold away as I moved closer to the fireplace. Once I was dressed I looked towards the mirror, but frowned when I saw it missing. _Oh right, I broke it._ With a sigh I rake my hands through my hair clearing it of any knots before grabbed the reports off the table and sat cross-legged on my bed looking over them. Skimming the first page I felt my eyebrows pull together in confusion. _Why would she give me this?_ It was a roster of the Templars who were meant to be attending the Conclave. I had seen this list and memorized the names when the Divine had asked me to investigate her suspicions. It wasn't until I looked to the second list that I realized why she'd given me the reports. On the seventh line down was a name from the past, from Dumonde. _Leon Amanter._ My pulse was thrumming faster in my veins, my grip on the paper tightening slightly. My eyes read over his name again and to the side in red ink read "not attending". I relaxed, nodding silently as I flipped the page seeing Leliana's nice handwriting on a report on Leon. He was back in Dumonde and now the Knight-Commander. I felt a wave of relief wash over me at the thought that he was safe. I looked to her handwriting and felt a small smile pull at my lips.

"These past couple of days have been rough on you, my friend. I thought you could use some good news. He was…important to you, yes? I hope this brings you some relief."

Her note ended making lips part with a sigh. I hadn't even thought of him through all of this. _Leon…_ it's been a long time since I'd seen him. The handsome Templar from Dumonde. His dirty blonde hair and crooked smile, the way he used to hold me. The cool nights where I used to run my hands over his face, chest and hands so that I could remember him. It was all flooding back to me and it made my heart stutter. I'm thankful he didn't perish like so many others in the blast. Maker I missed him no- I shook my head of the thoughts. I didn't miss him, I hadn't in a long time. I chose to leave him, and I chose to break all ties. It wouldn't end well for either of us. At the time...I was still destructive. The Divine was helping, but I still would have hurt him in the end. He cared about me, he even said so. He said he'd wanted me to stay, to help their recovering city. To be a hero in front of the people at his side...I couldn't do it. What would that have led to? I could only imagine we'd be married have kids and live out the rest of our lives boring and conventional. I didn't want that, I wasn't _made_ for that. How could I be when I've been trained to lie about everything I am. The stories I'd crafted around myself to keep my identity hidden, the stories I fed him are what won him over, not me. He'd thought I was some poor orphan girl who learned to fight in the streets before being picked up by a gang of thieves who taught me how to really fight. He'd thought I was the most incredible thing in the world because of it...but I wasn't the one he fell for, it was Lana, the name I hid behind. I'd long since abandoned the guise though and now there was only me and I wouldn't be enough for him.

 **Knock, knock, knock.** I nearly jumped out of my skin at the abrupt sound of someone at my door.

"Lady Protector, the Herald has arrived. He has summoned the War Council." Oran called out. I placed the papers in a neat stack on the right side of my bed and tied my hair into a high ponytail. With a short nod I left for the Chantry ready to finally figure out what our next course of action was. Would we help the Mages, or would be forsake them for the safer route with the Templars?


	17. Chapter 17

Hey lovelies! So sorry it has been forever since I last updated and you have my most sincere apologies! As a way to say I'm sorry I made this chapter extra long. Hope you guys like it and I promise the next update won't take nearly as long. Now, onto what you guys came for: Chapter 17.

* * *

When I walked into the War Room they'd already started the discussion. The first thing I heard was Cullen's voice arguing with someone else in the room.

"We don't have enough manpower to take the castle. Either we find another way in, or we give up this nonsense and go get the Templars." The door squealed behind me as I looked to Cullen who was turned almost completely to Cassandra. My eyes trailed from him to her as my eyebrow lifted in confusion. She was stoic, her shoulders squared and ready to argue. No different from her normal look.

"Redcliffe is in the hands of a Magister. This cannot be allowed to stand." She replied in her usual deadpanned tone. She obviously wasn't wrong, having a Magister thrown into the mix was a huge problem. It made me think of Tayen, my heart aching slightly as a shiver ran through my form. It caught Trevelyan's eye and he broke his concentration to look at me. Concern flashed in his eyes as his hand twitched towards me. I nodded to him hoping to answer his silent question as I waved off his hand.

"The letter from Alexius asked for the Herald of Andraste by name. It's an obvious trap." Josephine cut in stealing all of our attention. _A trap indeed._ It was very intelligent of the Magister. If we accepted the Herald would be cut off from any help and would likely die. If we didn't accept then that leaves the Magister in a position of power that we cannot allow.

"Isn't that kind? What does Alexius say about me?" Trevelyan asked and I lifted an eyebrow at him. Sarcasm wasn't like him, but I saw the confidence in his eyes which shocked me.

"He's so complimentary that we are sure he wants to kill you." Leliana replied from the corner with an impassive look on her face. Josephine's eyes darted towards Leliana and Cullen with a sigh.

"Not this again." She grumbled as Cullen turned towards Leli, but the Herald interrupted.

"Wait, did he not also ask for Quinn?" I looked towards him in confusion before looking back at them seeing Leliana shake her head no. I squinted remembering that Alexius hadn't even given me a sideways glance…which was odd given that I was also a survivor of the explosion.

"At Redcliffe Alexius didn't know that I also survived the explosion…perhaps that had something to do with it?" I asked as I looked to Leliana and one look from her and I knew she had something to do with that.

"Leliana and I decided that it would be best to keep the knowledge of two people with the mark as limited as possible. We haven't disclosed any of the information about you or your mark." Cullen cut in. _So that's why._ "Leliana felt that it would protect your…identity." He further explained as the Herald and I looked to each other and then at our hands.

"Surely though you don't expect me to stay here while the Herald faces this alone." I replied sternly at the Commander. _He'd be a fool and I knew he wasn't._ The look on his face told me that he'd already guessed I'd go and he was not happy about it. I was already facing him square on as he looked towards me and shook his head.

"Redcliffe castle is one of the most defendable fortresses in Ferelden. It has repelled thousands of assaults." His eyes flicked over to the Herald who was looking down at the map. "You go in there, you'll die. And we'll lose the only means we have of closing the rifts. I won't allow it." He added making the air of the room dense with tension as we stared at each other. Trevelyan looked over at me and I tore my eyes from Cullen to regard him. It almost looked like he was asking me for guidance without saying anything.

"And if we don't even try to meet Alexius, we lose the Mages and leave a hostile foreign power on our doorstep!" Leliana shot back at Cullen. She was right, but so was Cullen. I remained silent as I watched them argue amongst themselves. I've been in Redcliffe castle. I should be able to help if I could only think of something over their loud arguing.

"Even if we do assault the keep, it would be for naught. An "Orlesian" Inquisition marching into Ferelden would provoke a war. Our hands are tied." Josephine enlightened looking directly at the Herald as I leant against the wall. My eyes darted in between him and the map. He was still thinking, his eyes never wavering from their spot on the map. He looked as if he were stuck in between a rock and a hard place. Wanting to help the Inquisition, but not wanting to die.

"But, the Magister-"

"Has outplayed us." The Commander interjected making Cassandra scowl as she looked at the floor.

"The Magister's son, Felix, told me Alexius is in a cult that is obsessed with me. I doubt they'll graciously receive our apologies and go about their business." Trevelyan replied as he lifted his head. I think it was meant to be funny, but his eyes were serious.

"This will remain a threat, a powerful one, unless we act." Leliana added with a frown.

"We cannot accept defeat now. There must be a solution." Cassandra's words echoed in my ears. _We couldn't assault the keep, that'd be certain death._ But, what if we could sneak in? Get inside undetected and surprise Alexius. _Wait, where the hell is Teagan?_

"Where is Arl Teagan? He was still in charge of that castle, yes?" I asked and all eyes went to me. Josephine nodded quietly,

"After he was displaced he rode straight for Denerim to petition the Crown for help. I doubt he'll want our help once the Ferelden army lays siege to his castle." I almost chuckled at that, but hid it from them as I continued to think. _Think Quinn, think…_ Alistair had told me something about the castle when he was talking to me about his adventures with the Hero. I snapped my fingers and looked to Leliana.

"Wait a second! There's a secret way to get into the castle from the town. The windmill or something like that." I said and I saw the sparkle in her eyes as she smiled.

"Yes! It was an escape route for the royal family. But, it is too narrow for our troops. However…we could send agents through, and you of course." She replied as she looked directly at me. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the others looking in between us as we spun the web of our plan.

"It's too risky. Those agents, and the Lady Protector will be discovered before they reach the Magister." Cullen cut in, but I didn't look at him as I smirked at Leli.

"That's why we need a distraction-" I started,

"-Perhaps the envoy Alexius wants so badly?" Leliana finished, both of us with a small smirk on our lips. Cullen looked in between us with a nod.

"While they're focused on Trevelyan, we break the Magister's defenses. It could work, but it is a huge risk." I nodded looking over at Trevelyan who looked back at me. He looked worried, but there was a confidence in his eyes as he watched me that reassured me. Suddenly the door behind us opened making everyone turn to look at the black-haired man walk in. I felt a grin split my face as he sauntered in with a swagger this man could only possess.

"Fortunately for you, you'll have help." He said as he nodded to both of us. A scout ran jogged up behind him with a cautious eye to Cullen.

"This man says that he has information on the Magister and his methods, Commander." The scout informed and was waved off by the Commander as Dorian walked next to me and stood addressing the group.

"Hello again." He greeted with a short smirk. I smirked back and inclined my head as I watched him. "Your spies will never get past Alexius's magic without my help. So, if you're going after him, I'm coming along." He announced as he looked back directly at Cullen whose eyes were unwavering as they turned towards the Herald.

"The plan puts you in the most danger. We cannot in good in conscience order to do this. We can still go get the Templars if you'd rather not play the bait." He said as his eyes drifted towards me, but then back to Trevelyan. "It's up to you." He finished and my eyes flicked to Trevelyan who was looking back at me.

"What do you think, Quinn?" His eyes searched mine for an answer, or council either one.

"Leliana is correct, and I am not one for watching an entire people become enslaved to a Magister." I replied with a short nod. "However, Cullen is also right about the danger of this mission. He will try and kill you, that much is certain." The Herald blanched at my statement, but I placed a hand on his arm. "That's why if you're in this, I'm going with you." I stated as I looked to everyone around us. Cullen stiffened as he stared at me. Trevelyan's eyes were wide as he looked down at me.

"Are you sure?" Trevelyan asked as he looked down at me.

"I wouldn't be a very good protector if I didn't follow you into a suicide mission, would I?" I asked with a small smile as I placed my hands on my hips. "I'll go with Dorian and the agents and sneak in while the Herald and his envoy distract the Magister." I announced as I looked back towards Leliana. She nodded at me with the smallest of smirks.

"Send word to Alexius that we have accepted his invitation." The Herald said strongly looking to each of the advisors. I watched him closely as he looked back to me. I couldn't help but smile that he was getting so confident.

"Are you absolutely sure, Herald?" Josephine asked as she started to scribble on her pad. He smiled over at me.

"How can I lose?" He asked as he looked back towards them. I stared in shock at him, but kept my composure before my eyes shifted to Cassandra who was watching me not with distaste or shock, but with equal confidence. She quickly looked away embarrassed. I looked back to the Herald and then chanced a look at the advisors. Leliana looked pleased, Josephine was intent on scribbling on her pad, but Cullen's eyes were glued to me looking as if he truly wanted to speak up.

"Then it is settled." Cullen finally said as he looked over to Leliana. "Alexius's invitation is for four days from now. You'll leave the day after tomorrow." He added as he looked down at the invitation lying on the table. My eyebrows knitted together in confusion at the way he was acting. I know he wanted the Templars, but shouldn't he be happy that we are going to close the Breach? Shouldn't he just want to get this over with?

"Yes. Lady Protector after we are dismissed come and see me and we will assign you the agents infiltrating Redcliffe castle with you and Dorian." She said as she placed papers on top of each other gathering them up, ready to leave. The meeting adjourned a few moments later. Dorian looked to the Herald and I with a short nod of his head.

"Thank you." Trevelyan said quietly down to me. I tilted my head with a tiny smile before nodding. I held up my marked hand and he clasped it in his own with a grin.

"We're in this together." At that moment both marks shone brightly before dying out back to their normal state.

* * *

The rest of the day went by quickly. I'd met up with Leliana to talk about the agents that would be infiltrating the castle with me. She'd recommended a four man group not including me and the Tevinter. She'd expressed her worries about the mission to me, and the imperativeness that I do not fail. It was weighing on me slightly and I did my best to brush it off, to not worry about it just yet. Too much stress was bad and I needed to be at my best. So, I trained and ran over the plan that Leliana had designed. It was smart, and even though she hadn't explicitly said so, she wanted me with Dorian to watch him and make sure he doesn't double cross us. Now, I sat in the Tavern with a mug in my hand. The elf girl from earlier hung out of her seat in front of me yelling profanities at Iron Bull. I smiled quietly to myself as I played with a few strands of hairs that fell in my face. The strawberry scent reminding me of earlier with Josie.

" _Ah, Lady Protector I am glad you stopped by. I wanted to make sure that your gift was satisfactory." She said and I smiled with a bob of my head._

" _It was. Thank you for that, it was much needed." I replied with a short smile. She returned it and bobbed her head politely._

" _Wonderful. I still cannot believe Leliana suggested a dagger. A lady should always have some perfumes and soaps. Especially one of such stature as yourself. I thought it might make you feel a bit more…at home." She said and I fought the urge to stiffen at the mention of my family._

" _I haven't considered myself a noble for quite some time, Josephine, but thank you for the thought. It was very kind of you." I replied as I played my hair, running my hand through the soft tresses. She bowed her head respectfully when suddenly the door opened and we both turned to see a noble walking through without a knock. A mask covering his features greeted us and just over his shoulder I saw a soldier._

" _I apologize for the intrusion, this man says that he needs to speak with you Ambassador." The soldier said as he held a stack of papers in his arms. The Orlesian man however looked directly at me with interest. I ignored him for the most part as I looked towards Josephine._

" _Ah, yes. How may I assist you Marquis DuRellion? I apologize, I was not expecting you for another couple of days." Josephine said as she stood from her desk. Nodding my head silently to Josephine I made for the door. "Oh, Lady Protector, thank you for stopping by. I might have something that needs your attention a bit later, come back when you have a moment." I smiled and nodded as I passed the man when he turned, his eyes slightly wider._

" _This is the Lady Protector?" He asked as he looked over me. "I admit, you are not what I was expecting." I paused as I nodded curtly in the doorway of Josephine's room._

" _Sorry to disappoint." I replied equally as curt as my nod noticing him stutter before dipping into a bow and grabbing my hand._

" _On the contrary, I was not expecting someone so beautiful." He said as he peppered my gloved hand with kisses. My eyes were a bit wide at his ridiculousness and I looked away a bit disgusted at his unwanted affection. Looking away I felt a blush hit my cheeks noticing Cullen passing. His eyes were focused on the Marquis with a strange irritation before looking towards me and averting his eyes just as quickly as I did. The Marquis released me hand a moment later as I looked back at him._

" _I thank you, Marquis. But, I must be going." I replied and saw the man from before nodding._

" _Understandable, you must be a very busy woman. Perhaps later we shall see each other again." I nodded and gave Josephine a smile before leaving her office and moving out of the room and shutting the door behind me. My eyes scoured the Chantry for a moment looking for the Commander, but I didn't see him. Trevelyan however, was heading my way towards Josephine's room._

I frowned at the memory of a few hours before. The look in his eyes confused me, the irritation towards the Marquis. I wish I could have known what he was thinking at that moment. Actually, I wish I knew what he was thinking at all times, especially before at the meeting. I looked down at my drink before shaking the thoughts from my mind. I didn't need to be thinking about him right now. It felt like he was constantly on my mind though and it was starting to annoy me. For some reason it was harder to stop thinking about him than I'd previously thought. He seemed to invade all my thoughts all too often and I needed to find a way to stop it. He was distracting even though he seemed like he didn't mean to be. It was just…something about him that drew me in. Like a stupid fly to a flame. _Think about something else. Talk to one of them or something._ The elf girl was laughing loudly and slurring her speech, clearly drunk. Bull was singing with his chargers as he held onto the barmaid. I rolled my eyes at them with a small smile on my lips as I moved to get another drink from the bar. The man at the bar grabbed my tankard and filled it again. I leant against the bar quietly as I waited and looked out of the window. My thoughts drifted to earlier.

" _Lady Protector. There you are." He said and I frowned as I looked over and saw Trevelyan behind him. I looked at the two of them in confusion._

" _Is something wrong? Is it the girl? Did she...?" I asked quickly as I felt a pang in my gut. Dread filling me at the thought._

" _I need you to come with me. I don't wish to make a scene, but you're in danger." He said as he kept his voice down. I looked to Trevelyan and saw the worry in his eyes. Nodding slowly, I walked with Adan, the Herald trailing behind me. We made it to Solas's cabin and we walked inside. Solas looked up at me and got up from his seat._

" _Lady Protector, please sit there." He said. I complied and sat in the chair looking to everyone in the room with confusion._

" _What's going on? Did you find out what happened?" I asked, noticing the Herald look in between them as well. So he doesn't know, obviously. Solas looked to the girl and then to me._

" _I couldn't find anything wrong with the girl that would cause the symptoms she has. I looked into it a bit more and found she had inhaled a poison that was killing her slowly." He replied as he gathered things from the table before supping something blue from a vial. I tilted my head as I looked at the liquid. Lyrium_ _… He must be drained from keeping the girl alive._

" _Are you saying Quinn inhaled poison as well? Poison that is killing her?" He asked incredulously. My heart pounded in my chest, but I didn't feel any different. Solas looked from the Herald to me._

" _I can't be sure, but you mentioned a gas that the man you were battling threw at your feet. I theorized that maker of the poison-"_

" _Vaporized it? So that when it was detonated it would spray out in a gaseous form?" I asked, my heart clenching at the thought. The leader had said he'd bought it from a man in Orlais, and there was only one merchant I knew that sold items like that._

" _Adan has found that the poison is derived from a plant isn't native to Fereldan, and will keep searching for the source of it." I frowned as I leant forward upon Solas's instruction._

" _You should check plants native to Orlais." I advised looking towards Adan who tapped his lips and His hand lit up a pale blue and he began hovering over my back. Adan moved in front of me and handed me a drink. I looked down at it and drank it slowly. It tasted like elf root, but also had the taste of something else in it. Dawn lotus maybe? "I may not be a healer, but I can find the damage that the poison has done and we maybe can…stop…it…" He slowed as his palms stopped over my back where my lungs were. His eyebrows were knitted in the middle of his forehead as his eyes flickered from my back to my eyes._

" _What's wrong?" I asked, but he shook his head confusion apparent in his eyes._

" _There's a lot of scar tissue on your lungs. It is similar to the one that the girl has from the poison…but, yours are all old. Very old." He said making a frown of confusion cross my lips._

" _I don't understand. What about the poison?" I asked as he pulled his hand away._

" _It looks like there is a multitude of it. The amount that I'm sensing…It should have killed you hours ago." He said and out of the corner of my eye I saw Trevelyan twitch._

" _What?! How is she alive then?" He asked quickly as he moved forward towards me. His eyes widened as he looked to me. "Not that I'm complaining, of course." He added quickly._

" _The girl right there only had a little in her lungs, you…you came in direct contact, but you're perfectly fine." He said as he looked to Adan for answers. That doesn't make any sense, unless I was for some reason immune to it. But, the only thing I have a relative tolerance to is the poison that my guild would use. Red Dawn. A volatile mix of red embrium, dawn lotus and arsenic. In correct dosage it'll put someone to sleep, slowing their heart till it stops. In incorrect dosages it'll kill them slowly and painfully, making them feel their own heart slowing._

" _If she has scar tissue like this…that means that she's been introduced to this poison before which might just give you a tolerance to the poison. However, if you have a lot of scarring then…you might just have a sort of immunity to it. It would explain why you weren't affected even though you should have been." He replied as he looked down at me. My eyes drifted to the girl who was lying on the bed still unconscious._

" _Will she be alright?" I asked not bothering to look up at him. She looked pale, but not feverish and sweaty as she was before._

" _She will. We got to her in time, if she had been introduced to as much as you though…I can't say she would have been." Adan said making the dread in my stomach alleviate a little. If she'd died because of me… I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I don't need to worry about that. I just need to leave._

" _Thank you for helping her." I replied as I stood and looked to the men in the room. "Also, thank you for your concern. I'm sorry for causing so much trouble." I added as I looked towards the door._

" _It's quite alright we are just glad you are alright." He said and I nodded with a thankful smile on my lips._

" _Is there anything else you need to check…or can I leave?" I asked and saw all of them look at each other for a short moment._

" _Yes, uh I mean the poison in your lungs will dissipate thanks to the potion I gave you earlier. You are free to go if you want. If it's alright with you, I'd like to check up on you a little later just to be sure. If you feel any discomfort please come and see me or Solas as soon as it happens." I nodded and walked out of the room._

The bartender came back and gave my tankard back and I smiled shortly as a thank you and took a large swig of it. The alcohol helping to block out my distracted mind. I didn't want to think about my problems. I didn't want to think about the people I'd nearly got killed…like Lisette. Maker knows there are enough people that have died recently and I have somehow survived. The Divine, my Father, and now almost Lisette. Shaking my head I took another large swig of the spiced ale. It felt like it was taking forever to get slightly drunk and for the first time in a while I damned my high tolerance. Why couldn't I be a lightweight? I looked back towards the girl falling over Herald clearing feeling it or acting very well. _Like her._ If I could forget the day after two drinks so many problems would be fixed. I drank the alcohol down grimacing at the slight burn of it. My body hummed at the feeling of the alcohol in my system finally starting to take effect. My tired muscles seemed to relax as I leant my elbows against the table.

"What's up, Boss?" Bull asked as he took a seat next to me. I looked over at him quickly, wondering when the massive Qunari had moved from his former seat amongst a horde of women without me noticing. I looked back down at my drink and frowned. Perhaps I shouldn't be drinking so much. _Ha, very funny Quinn._ I mused to myself before shaking my head at Bull. "Why aren't you celebrating with the others?" He asked, and I shook my head.

"What are you talking about? I am celebrating." I replied as I took another swig of my ale. He chuckled as he downed the contents of his drink.

"Oh really? That's why you've been drinking in the corner?" He asked pointedly, "Also, you keep looking at the door. So either you really want to leave or you are waiting for someone."

"I don't see the reason to celebrate if we haven't won yet." I replied as I took a swig of my ale. The bitter taste disappearing into a warm almost cinnamon flavor.

"You don't think we will?" He asked, but I didn't have an answer for him. I was confident in my own abilities for sure, but still…the things this man could accomplish, this Magister—what if I couldn't stop it?

"I don't know." I returned as I took yet another swig. "We don't know what Alexius is capable of. I mean…time magic, rifts and demons? What does that even mean for us?" I asked and Bull grumbled.

"I hate demons." He said and I nodded in agreement. There was a momentary pause before he spoke again. "Look, the Herald believes in you, if that helps anything." He added and I frowned with my hand gripping the handle a bit too tight.

"It should, but that only makes it worse." I replied quietly and he nodded about to say something else when the Herald turned to me raising a glass. His smile was infectious and any other time I probably would've smiled too, but my mind took a darker turn. His smile was gone and instead of his usual pink cheeks he was pale and lifeless as Alexius stood over him laughing at me, laughing at my failure. It hurt to think about. Suddenly I couldn't bear being in the room any longer. When the Herald turned back around I pushed away from the table and made for the exit noticing the blonde elf give me a drunken quizzical look. When I got outside I felt my heart pounding in my chest and my breathing was short and choppy.I walked briskly through Haven trying to calm myself down. My hands shook as I moved forward when I saw someone jump down in front of me. My daggers flew from my sheaths faster than lighting as I glared at the person in front of me.

"Woah, easy there Quinnie, I'm not one of the ones you wanna stick with those pokey things." She said as she held up her hands.

"Leave. I want to be alone." I grunted as I sheathed my daggers and brushed past her.

"What? So, you can sulk and grump like so many other sods around here? Somethin' tells me you like to have fun. So, let's go."

"No." I told her before walking off, but she wasn't giving up.

"Oh c'mon! I know somethin' that'll be real fun."

"You're not going to stop are you?" I asked as I looked back at her with a frown seeing her shake her head. "Damn." I cursed as I looked around me and placed my hands on my hips. "Fine, what is it?" I conceded and she giggled gleefully as she looked around her moving close.

"We're gonna play some pranks. Give the poor sods some entertainment, you know something to laugh at. They're all so boring, but you…you look like fun." She said and I crossed my arms.

"Pranks? As in putting cream in someone's palm when they're sleeping?" I asked and she made a strange gagging noise before pushing me lightly.

"Nahh, Nothing like that, that's too simple! No, we're only doing fun stuff." I rolled my eyes but nodded anyway.

"Alright, Sera. What did you have in mind?" I asked and she grinned before pulling me along.

"Yes! C'mon!" She called out as we moved through Haven towards Solas's cabin and I stared in confusion as we got close.

"What're we doing here?" I asked and she grinned as she produced some paints from her pocket. _Why the hell did she have that in her pocket?_ I lifted an eyebrow at her as she tapped her lip.

"Well, I asked Solas if he would join us and the egghead said that he'd rather not. Real stuck up like." She said as she looked over. "I was thinking we could paint something…like an egg because he looks like one, or a butt…'cause butts." I tapped my lip with her and shrugged.

"I like the butt idea." I said quietly and she giggled as she nudged me before she got to work. A couple moments later she was done and an image of a butt with air coming from its butt. I let out a giggle that surprised me before I coughed and shook my head.

"C'mon let's go to the next one." She said as she pulled me along. I shook my head as we kept going around looking for something fun when she stopped and looked towards the trebuchet's with a grin. I lifted my eyebrow at her a little confused.

"What?" I asked her as she looked over at me. "We're not going to mess with these are we?" She tapped her lips.

"Maybe not mess with them, but…maybe…." She trailed off and started messing with a bunch of the calibrations and then painted a smiley face with a tongue sticking out on the handle. I folded my arms over my chest watching her. "There. Commander uptight will have a fit when he sees this." She laughed. Pausing for a moment I felt a laugh bubble up as I looked around myself.

"'Commander uptight'?" I asked her with a grin as she chuckled at her own joke. "Alright, what's next Ser-"

"Who's over there!?" A random soldier shouted making Sera and I pause before I laughed.

"RUN!" I yelled and we both took off. I giggled as I sped through the shadows of Haven losing Sera somewhere along the way. I ran, hearing the soldier who had been following me fade into the distance and I giggled as I slid into the Chantry. Once I was in I panted quietly and placed my back against the door. Catching my breath for the moment before looking around the quiet Chantry. My breathing was the only sound in the room making it sound louder than it actually was. I paused as I took in the serenity that enveloped me as the smell of candles and incense burning brought back memories of my time with the Divine. I moved away from the door my eyes scanning the room, but I noticed only a few sisters attending to the candles lighting the ones that had gone out. Offering prayers to Andraste above and to the Maker. My eyes lifted to the ceiling wondering myself for a moment if they would hear the prayers of their faithful down here or if they would ignore them the way they ignored so many before. I heard the door to the Chantry open and I slid into the side aisle hiding behind a pillar. I didn't know why I was hiding, but I would look foolish if I revealed myself now. I heard a familiar pair of footsteps move through the Chantry next to me. Cullen strode through slowly, when I peeked around the corner I saw him staring at the floor. I moved behind the pillars watching him as he stopped and looked around himself before sighing. His eyes lifted to the ceiling of the Chantry as he ran a hand through his golden hair. He looked so tired and so strained. His hair a tad unruly and his muscles lethargic and sluggish looking. My hand laid on the stone as I watched him from behind the pillar as he stopped in front of the statue of Andraste. After a few moments of watching him I noticed him dip his head in silence and it took me a second to realize that he was praying. He looked so calm and I noticed the sluggishness in him seemed to leave like praying to Andraste was comforting him. I tilted my head to the side as I heard him whispering.

"Blessed are they who stand before the corrupt and the wicked and do not falter. Blessed are the peacekeepers, the champions of the just-" The door suddenly opened again and a scout walked in quickly. Cullen lifted himself off his knee and I twisted back around the pillar to hide once more.

"Commander. I apologize if I am interrupting, you asked for the report of the events that took place at the Western Fortress." The soldier reported as he gave Cullen the papers who masked his tiredness with a serious and cordial expression.

"Thank you, have you had a chance to eat yet soldier?" Cullen asked and I felt a small smile come to my lips. The soldier shook his head.

"No suh, I unfortunately have not had the opportunity." He replied to which Cullen nodded seemingly understanding the soldiers' current problem.

"Go get something to eat and relax for a moment." Cullen ordered in a kind almost fatherly tone. I smiled at him as the soldier nodded and bowed his head silently before turning away.

"Thank you, Commander." The soldier thanked and quickly exited the Chantry. My eyes stayed trained on the Commander as he stared down at the papers for a while. His eyes widening slightly before he flipped furiously through the pages and stopped, his eyes scanning the pages before he sighed. His eyes closed and he took a deep breath collecting himself. He looked back up at the statue of Andraste with a strange glimmer in his eye. Something that looked like a mixture between confusion and thankfulness. I watched as he then walked away and out of sight, the door to the War Room squealing open before clanging shut. I stepped out of the darkness after he disappeared, curiosity peaking inside me. What was on those reports? Was it something to do with the Breach? With Alexius? I stood in the same place he did pausing trying to think about what it could have been. I looked up at the statue of Andraste as a second question popped into my head. Why did he look so relaxed in the moments he was standing here? For me it brought no peace. It just reminded me of how many times that I've begged for help, how so many people I've known who begged for mercy from the Maker and none was given. The Divine was his most faithful and he let her die. Where was Andraste then for her people? Where was the Maker?

"You look troubled, child." A kind voice spoke up from the silence and I looked over at her startled for a moment before composing myself. "I apologize I did not mean to startle you." Mother Giselle apologized, but I waved her off.

"Don't worry about it. I was just thinking." I replied as I looked over at the statue of Andraste again before looking back at her.

"Well, Lady Protector, how fares you and the Herald of Andraste's quest to seal the Breach?" She asked kindly almost as if she could see right through me and to the root of my problem. That worried me. How transparent was I? Nodding cordially over to her I replied,

"As well as trying to close a giant rift in the sky can possibly go, I guess." She chuckled quietly at me before nodding.

"A task such as closing the Breach is a heavy burden, but protecting the one who can close the Breach is an even heavier burden." She took a pause. "I hope you do not intend to carry it alone." She added with a small frown.

"And what would sharing this burden accomplish? Everyone here already has so much on their shoulders. Adding more would only cause more harm than good. Right now…I'm just doing everything I can and hoping it's enough." I replied as I looked over towards her with a sedated look.

" _Do_ everything within your power…but remember those who would help you." She said to me with a soft smile as her eyes shifted to the side before moving back to me. "You still look troubled." She noticed making me grimace.

"I just wonder why the Maker put me here. Out of anyone else in Thedas I find it hard to accept that he made the right choice." I replied as I ran my hand along the stone.

"We are all given our purpose under the Maker. A sword does not ask to be forged and sometimes we cannot see the path that he has laid out for us to follow." She advised with a kind smile on her lips.

"But who will have to pay the cost along this path? It seems like the Maker doesn't care who or how many die in the process." I replied as I looked back down at her. She shot me an understanding look. The Divine's image burned in my head and I felt my heart thrum painfully in my chest. Another reminder of my failures. "Divine Justinia was his most faithful follower. She lived by his word, gave every ounce of herself to him and he killed her."

"Perhaps you should blame her killers for her death?" Mother Giselle asked with a lift of her eyebrow. I frowned and crossed my arms.

"If he is so powerful and all-seeing then why would he not save his most faithful? Why-"

"-But why you were saved as well as the Herald?" She asked and hearing it out loud somehow made it worse. My hands fell back to my side as I watched her. She didn't look proud that she'd figured it out, instead she looked sorry for me. She reached out and touched my arm in a motherly way. I pulled away from her and frowned as I ran a hand through my hair.

"I should never have been saved." I replied shortly as I sighed. "I'm sorry Mother Giselle, I cannot imagine this is doing anything for your confidence in the Inquisition." I added as I looked back at her noticing a kind smile on her lips.

"Your humility does you credit, Lady Protector. I can only imagine the pain you are in from the Divine's death. What you went through as well…I cannot blame you for experiencing some doubt." She said with a kinder smile than before. "I just pray you know you are not alone in your grief. Lean on your companions when you need it and offer them the same courtesy." She added with a wisdom that I'd seen only few times as her eyes discreetly went to the door of the War Room. I thanked her quietly as I stood unsure of what she wanted me to in front of the statue of Andraste as my eyes shifted to the War Room door. Cullen was in there undoubtedly hunched over some paperwork his hair ruffled and his eyes tired. Did she want me to go in there? What would being in the same room as him do for me? I looked back towards her,

"Mother Giselle…" I started, but noticed she was gone. I frowned and paused as I looked back towards the door, my feet carrying me forward. My hand twitched at the door handle as I second guessed myself. Should I go in? Should I just leave? My fingers brushed against the cold metal of the door and I pushed it open slowly as the door was being pulled and I gasped. Slow to react I felt myself fall forward. My eyes widened as I fell forward and ran right into someone. They jumped in shock as we both plummeted to the ground. Hands came to my arms as we hit the ground eliciting a groan from my lips as I peeked down at the person under me.

"Lady Protector?" Cullen asked with wide golden eyes. He looked so shocked as he stared up at me, his hands around my biceps. "Forgive me. Are you alright?" He asked as I scrambled off of him into a sitting position.

"I'm fine. Are you alright? You took the brunt of the fall." I replied as my eyes looked over him, the dim light of the candle reflecting off his hair and armor. He stood and held out his hand and I took it. "Thank you." I said to him as I looked towards the door. Why had I come here? What was the reason? Let him ease my worries? In truth, I had no idea why I walked into this room, her subtle nudges had just made me _want_ to.

"Is something wrong?" He asked and I inhaled quickly as I was torn from my thoughts. I thanked the Maker I wasn't drunk or this would've been a very awkward encounter. My eyes wandered to him and in this moment, against the candlelight he looked inexplicably attractive. His hair mussed from where his hands had run through it, falling slightly onto his forehead. His golden eyes looking molten in the candlelight that drew me in. It took me a moment to realize that I hadn't responded and a furious blush erupted onto my cheeks. "What is it? You're flushed, do you have a fever?" His hand was suddenly on my forehead as he inspected me worriedly. Looking away I ran a hand through my hair busying myself with examining the wall.

"It's nothing, I'm fine." I replied quickly as I stared at the far wall. Maker what was I thinking? This was such a bad decision. I shouldn't even be here. We barely got along and now I'm here with him _alone._ This was a mistake. "I'm just going to go-"

"You don't have to." He replied quickly and I looked towards him in confusion. Huh? _Why not?_

"I wouldn't want to bother you, you appear to be very busy." I replied, noticing him turn to look at the stack of papers sitting on the opposite side of the table. _Maker such a mistake. I_

"You can stay. I'm just finishing up here." He said and I noticed the untouched food sitting next to his mountain of paperwork. "If you want to that is." He added a bit more unsurely. I frowned as I leant against the door, curiosity peaking as I tried to think of the last time I'd seen him.

"You've been here this whole time?" I asked watching his head bob mutely as he placed a few pieces on the war table. I moved closer to his side of the table and sat down on the corner of it where pieces had not yet been placed and stared down at the clusters of 'troops' represented by his lion pieces as he placed them. He looked over at me as I crossed my legs watching as he pulled back his hand from the table. My fingers plucked one of Leliana's pieces from the board and I twisted it around eyeing the raven thoughtfully.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked as he stared at me. My eyes flicked up to him and I quickly looked back down to the piece.

"I was just thinking this piece might be me." I replied with a fond smile noticing the lift of his eyebrow in confusion. "Or was me…Leliana used to have a personal table where she'd have pins stuck to represent each of her agents. I once asked her which one was me and she grabbed one that had a sparrow on top of the pin. Apparently, she'd had it specially made for me, as her other important agents had one. After a while, mine was the only 'special' one on the board." I said as I placed the piece back down in its place.

"They all died?" He asked and I nodded as I leant against my palm viewing the table with a strange nostalgic feeling.

"Yes, but 'tis the life of an assassin slash spy slash thief even under the protection of the Divine. You risk your life walking out of the door. Some couldn't handle that and some died for it." I said as he stared down at me,

"But you could?"

"Yes. I used to love the thrill of it. The possibility of death only made it better. I'd do incredibly reckless things, things that none of the other assassins dared do; just to get a rush. To just…feel something-" I paused at the realization that I'd said more than I should. My eyes darted to his to see if he noticed and felt my stomach twist into a knot when I saw the sadness in his eyes. "Pretend you didn't hear that." The order fell from my lips in a harsher tone than I wanted. He didn't look offended however, instead it seemed to add to his sadness; it made me cringe. I folded my arms over my chest and stared down where he'd placed his pieces.

"You weren't happy there?" He asked making me cringe at him deliberately ignoring my order. I let out a sigh and shook my head. _He's not going to stop questioning me, is he?_

"Actually, I was very happy with the Divine. I owe her…more than I can express." I replied as I stared straight ahead of me.

"Then why…?" He trailed off as I leant against my hands, a sigh of impatience leaving my lips.

"The Divine did everything she could for me, but there was still something missing." I paused closing my eyes at the memory of the deplorable and reckless things I'd done. Anything from gore and violence to random one-night stands.

"What were you missing?" He asked. My eyes snapped open and flicked to him with a somewhat annoyed expression.

"You ask a lot of questions, Commander." I quipped as I watched him. "Are you that interested in me?" My eyebrows wiggled and I saw him smirk at me before looking down at the map. _Huh? What was he smirking about?_ "What's that smirk for?" I asked as I tilted my head to the side. He kept his smirk as he stared down at the map, something about it making his amusement heighten. I frowned and rolled forward onto my knees crawling towards him to see what was so amusing. His head popped up as I inspected the paper that he was looking at, but it was just a report from a random scout. I looked to him noticing our eyes were level and I lifted an eyebrow. "What is so amusing, Commander?" I asked noticing a strain in his face as he gulped.

"Are you that interested, My Lady?" He asked smugly before taking a step back from the table. I lifted an eyebrow before a grin split my face and I laughed at him as I sat back on my calves before swinging myself around and letting my legs hang off the table. He chuckled as well as he took a page and eyed it, his demeanor changing to the stoic one I was used to. I peeked at the paper and saw that it was Leliana's approved personnel for the mission in a couple of days. My eyebrows pulled together and I frowned as I felt tension in the air.

"You're worried." I observed as I place an elbow on my knee leaning against my fist looking to him. It was easy to see his emotions, whether he made it that apparent or just my perceptiveness. His eyes flicked to me quickly before going back to the paperwork.

"I am." He replied as he stared down at the paperwork. "There are too many unknowns about this plan." He said and I nodded in response watching him. "But, you probably aren't worried, are you? As you said, you're confident in your abilities." He added.

"Would it make you feel better if I wasn't worried?" I asked with a comforting smile. His eyes found mine.

"Would it be true?" He asked as his eyes scanned mine.

"No." I replied, "But, if it'll ease your mind…" He shook his head.

"I'd rather just hear your thoughts." He replied again making me frown as I straightened my back.

"I'm worried that I'll fail, that I'll survive instead of the Herald." I added as honestly as I could. He frowned as he pushed away from the table lightly.

"I've been so focused on…I didn't think about how it would affect you." He replied and I looked away about to tell him not to worry about it. It's understandable that he wouldn't. He has a lot on his mind and I'm probably at the very bottom of the list he's got going. "Would you like to take a walk with me?" He asked me suddenly and I looked up at him startled. I looked down at the massive stack of papers still sitting by his hand.

"Are you sure?" I asked, eyeing the papers but, reassuringly he nodded and pushed the stacks towards the end of the table as I hopped off. For a second the world wobbled around me and I dizzily, but discreetly grabbed the edge of the table. My mind wracked over why I suddenly got so dizzy, I knew it couldn't have been the alcohol. It may have loosened my lips a little, but I was also convinced that was Cullen who was able to do that. He had this power to drag things from me that I didn't want him to know without even trying. We walked out of the Chantry and through the snow the ground crunching beneath us as we moved through Haven. "So, where are we walking to?" I asked as my arms swayed by my sides. I tried to ignore the cold that nipped at my skin.

"I want to show you something." He said and I lifted an eyebrow at him. His eyes were set on the path ahead of us and I felt like he was about to give me some sage sort of wisdom.

"Hmm…very mysterious. I'd be surprised if there was much in Haven I hadn't already seen." I replied as I looked about me. Haven was lit by torches, the moon and Breach shining down on us illuminating the ground. He pushed open the gates to Haven and we both moved out. I expected him to turn left, but instead he turned right and headed towards the thin forest. My eyebrow lifted, but I followed him anyway. I became aware of the shadows that were around me as I stayed in stride with him. We passed a small house and walked around the back of it and through a gate. We kept walking and I swear we'd walked up a good portion of the mountain when he stopped and looked at a couple of large rocks in front of us.

"We're here." He said and I lifted an eyebrow as he walked forward. Just when I thought it couldn't get more odd he climbed on top of the rocks and sat down at the top.

"What is it with you and sitting on rocks?" I asked with a small smile on my lips.

"We Fereldans are simple." He said and I laughed at his joke shaking my head. "Come on, sit." He said with a lazy smile. He was so serious and cordial…it was nice to see him like this. And rare. I followed his lead and climbed on top of the rocks and instantly I saw what he was talking about.

"Woah." I whispered as I looked forward at Haven below and ahead of us. It looked like a cute little scenic southern town my Mother had talked about in her bedtime stories. I felt a bright smile come to my lips noticing him smile at my reaction. "You found this?" I asked as I looked towards him. He shook his head,

"No, I caught wind of some soldiers and scouts coming out here to…er…consort. I couldn't have them skipping out on their duties." He explained and my mouth dropped as I looked at the rocks we were sitting on.

"Wait…you brought me to a hook-up spot?" I asked noticing the bright red blush that crossed his cheeks. My amusement rose as I watched him get flustered. "I'm a little surprised but…it's not a bad place to-" I joked trying to make him turn redder.

"Maker's Breath that is not why I brought you here!" He interrupted as he looked over at me shocked. He coughed into his hand and straightened his shoulders. "Actually, that is not what they were doing out here. The rumor that they were consorting was actually just that, they were coming here to do this. Just get away with a breathtaking view. That's why I brought you here." He said as the red in his cheeks started to fade. I smiled at the view as I sat cross legged on the smooth rock, the snow crunching as I got comfortable. The gusts of wind chilled me and I hugged my arms as I watched the snow start to fall.

"Well, your soldiers were onto something. It's certainly beautiful and I needed to get away." I said with a small smile as I titled my head to regard the quant town.

"I meant to ask, why aren't you celebrating? I imagined you'd be there for the rest of the night." He said and I frowned as my eyes moved to the Tavern. I could almost hear the loud, drunken shouts of my companions from here.

"I needed some air." I replied and he lifted an eyebrow.

"Did something happen?" He asked as he gave me his full attention. My heart pounded in my chest at the horrid thought of the Herald dying because of me, at the fact that I

"I don't really wish to talk about it." I replied as I watched the town below us bustle with night life as soldiers returned to their tents. I imagined somewhere in there the Herald was stumbling drunkenly back to his cabin. After a couple moments of silence I shivered at the cold and hugged myself tighter as I let out a yawn. It was then that I realized I hadn't slept in a while.

"Where's your cloak?" He asked and I frowned thinking back to where it had gone. "Is it still with the girl?" He asked again. I answered him with a nod as my eyes wandered looking for Solas's cabin noticing his was the least lit. Perhaps he's asleep? I wonder how the girl is doing. He'd explained that she'd be alright…sort of. I hadn't heard Cullen get up, but jumped a little when I felt him gently lay his furry mantle on my shoulders. "You know, I should probably just keep an extra one of those on me at all times." He joked as he sat back down a bit closer. I thanked him as I curled up inside of his mantle, it must've looked humorous because he let out a little chuckle.

"What?" I asked with a smile as I poked my head out of the furs. He smiled as he looked away.

"I forgot how funny that looks. You're considerably smaller than me. It makes you look smaller." He said with a laugh. I laughed as well and nodded.

"Now thinking about it, imaging you wearing my cloak would look hilarious as well." He laughed at that and shook his head.

"I think you mean ridiculous." He corrected as I kept the fur around me. My hands clutching it as he watched me. I yawned and felt my head bob to the side before I righted myself.

"Tired as well?" I shook my head as my eyes hazily moved over Haven.

"No." I replied when suddenly a yawn spilled from my lips. "Okay, maybe a little." I said as I leant against my knees feeling myself slipping from consciousness.

"When's the last time you slept?" He asked and I thought back for a moment.

"I napped for an hour or two before we came back here with the girl." I said and he frowned at me shaking his head.

"You need more sleep than that. It'll wear you down." He reprimanded and I knew he was right. I felt my eyes start to close again and nodded tiredly.

"Pot calling the kettle black?" I asked hearing him chuckle quietly. Cullen moved over and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Come, you should get to bed." He said, but my I shook my head as I touched his hand.

"Just a little longer?" I asked and he looked down at me with a twinge of confusion in his eyes, but nodded and sat down next to me. I leant my head against his shoulder. "Cullen, for what it is worth. I'm sorry for the way things have been between us. I know I'm not the easiest person to get along with and I'm sorry for the things I've said to you." I said and he nodded as he opened up his arm silently and the action surprised me. His arm went around my shoulders.

"I'm sorry too." He told me as we sat next to each other looking over the town as the snow fell. "The things I said to you as well, it was unworthy of me. You didn't deserve that and I should have trusted you." He said and I smiled as I hung my arm around his waist.

"The truth is…you were right most of the time and I just didn't want to hear it. It wasn't your fault." I said and I felt a small smile cross my lips as I enjoyed being next to him. "Up here, so far away it feels like we're not even part of the Inquisition. Just two regular people." I said with a small smile as I sleepily stroked his mane-like cloak. "Like there isn't a Breach, no war…just peace…it's nice." I said and he nodded as he looked down at me.

"I feel the same." He said as we sat, my eyes closing as I relaxed against him. It was a little while later when he shifted and I woke looking up at him sleepily. "Come, we should head back down so you can sleep." I nodded and he helped me up and I lazily stumbled through the snow. He shook his head and looked to me like he would a small child. "Do you want me to carry you?" He asked and I nodded sleepily in response eliciting a sigh that also sounded quite amused. Quicker than I thought he could he pulled me onto his back and hooked his arms underneath my legs. My arms hung over his shoulders and I murmured my thanks as I leant my head against his back. He shook his head with a tiny laugh as I dozed off against him. Somewhere between consciousness and unconsciousness I heard a door creak distantly. Foot falls against wooden floorboards and a moment later I was shifted off of my resting place. I was held against the person as a series of movements rustled what sounded like sheets.

"It's a good thing you're light." Cullen murmured as he placed me down gently on something soft. _My bed?_ I felt him pulling at my boots and a moment later I heard them click against the floor by the bed. The blankets were pulled over me as I was about to lazily open my eyes, but they wouldn't open. There was silence for a moment and I thought he'd left until I felt his hand brush the hairs out of my face gently. "Good night, Quinn." He murmured as he pulled away and a couple heartbeats later the door shut quietly.


	18. Chapter 18

Oh hey guys, remember last chapter how I said I wouldn't take forever to update? I'm so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, so, sorry. I gave y'all and extra long chapter 'cause I feel bad for it lol Hope you enjoy it, Lovlies!

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 _Fire engulfed the earth that I walked on. Scorching the ground, murdering any life that once lived there. Now leaving nothing in its wake but charred and ashen remains. Screeches, like a thousand nails on steel echoed around me as smoke clouded my vision. I couldn't stop my feet from moving towards the horrid sounds, but as they got louder and louder I realized what they truly were. A green window opened up around me, reminding me of the fade magic I possessed. My eyes widened as the smoke cleared around me revealing charred bodies of people. Their bodies stationary around me. Embers for skin as they glowed like fiery coals, their eyes seemingly following me as I felt horror grip at my heart. I could hardly breathe as I choked on the smell of death in the air. I tried to run, but something kept my feet planted on the ground. I pulled at my feet as I tried to free myself praying they'd be freed. Snapping noises filled the air making my stomach clench as my eyes widened in fear as I chanced a gaze ahead of me. Immediately I regretted it. The bodies were making the snapping noise as they all turned towards me falling from their stationary poses and onto the cracked ground beneath them. Their fingers clawed into the ground to get to me, their horrifying gazes on me as their mouths hung open unnaturally wide. The horrible screeching noise from before rising from their charred throats. Screams...that sound was screams._

" _No. No, please. Stop! Stop this!" I cried as I tried to back away, but my feet were still chained to the ground. I went for my blades to defend myself as they continued to crawl after me, but they were missing. My eyes widened as I came to the realization that this wasn't real. I shook my head placed my hands on my ears to block out the sounds as they seemed to get louder. My eyes were squeezed shut as I tried to wake myself up. Suddenly I was grabbed and dragged backwards away from the horrific bodies. I shook my head as I fought against the hands as they dragged me through the floor. I felt a cry tear from my throat as I fought for air._

" _Lady Protector! My Lady please wake up!"_

I woke with a start, my heart ramming in my chest as I snapped upwards in fright. My chest was heaving as I crawled backwards away from the person sitting in front of me. Their hand outstretched towards me, but was smacked away.

"Don't touch her! Can't you see she's scared?" Oran asked, my eyes flicking between the two.

"The Lady Protector doesn't get scared. She's just...startled. My Lady, it's me, Jim. You're safe you were just having a bad dream." Jim stated calmly as he looked down at me. I stared at him, my throat dry before I nodded and relaxed a little.

"I...I am sorry for alerting you both. I'm fine." I said as I calmed myself as Jim bustled about the cabin. He came back with a vase like glass filled with water. He handed it to me gingerly. I took it and thanked him quietly before sipping the water.

"Isn't that the vase she had on her desk?" Oran pointed out and I choked on the strange tasting water. Jim spluttered as he blushed heavily and scratched the back of his neck.

"I-I didn't know where else there was water and she looked thirsty. I didn't think it was that bad of an idea." He replied innocently making me internally facepalm at his explanation.

"Moron." Oran murmured as he pulled around a water skin from his hip and offered it to me. I thanked him and took a swig of the water before handing it back to him.

"Thank you, guys." I said as I looked to each of them making Jim beam with excitement that I'd praised him. I pushed myself off the bed as the two of them moved away.

"I'll go report to the Commander, he might want to know about this." Jim said and left in a hurry. My eyes widened as I raised my hand towards the door.

"Jim wai-!" He was already gone. "Ugh...great." I grunted as I shot a pointed look at Oran who raised his hands.

"Wasn't my idea. The Commander wished to be kept updated on your health. Jim takes it a bit too seriously. He's a big fan of yours." Oran explained as I pinched the bridge of my nose.

"How annoying." I muttered as I stood.

"With all due respect, he means well, the moron that he is. You've been having nightmares a lot, it makes him nervous." He explained further and looked towards the window.

"He shouldn't be bothering the Commander about such trivial matters." I replied with a shake of my head. My hand fell to my hip as I sighed, nodding in response.

"I don't think the Commander minds. He's a good man." He said making me smile slightly before nodding and grabbing my boots and sliding them onto my feet. My thoughts went to the night before and I felt a small smile pull at my lips. I looked up and Oran had shut the door behind him as he left. I continued to lace up my boots remembering Cullen and I on top of the mountain, his warmth next to me, him carrying me back to my cabin...It made my heart swell in my chest and a blush come to my cheeks. _That man...He was something else._ Staring at my wrist I tilted my head, regarding the pearl bracelet. It was funny. I'd received gifts of far more value than this simple bracelet. Back when I lived with my father I used to love expensive things. Maybe I'm just different now...maybe I've changed that much...or… _Maybe it was because it was from him?_ I asked myself before shaking my head at the incredulous thought. _No! No, no, no...No. I don't care for him like that. He is a friend, companion, nothing more._ I argued with myself as I stood and walked towards my dresser and grabbed my daggers and sheathed them on my hips. _Then how do I explain this feeling...this sensation I feel around him. A sensation that I didn't know how to explain…_ It had to just be everything that was happening to me lately. Yes. That must be it. My eyes drifted to the window, seeing the sun barely peeking out over the mountains. I sighed and stretched as I made to leave my cabin, but stopped when I saw the report Leliana had sent to me. Leon's name sticking out to me making my mind wander once more to my time in Dumonde. My hand fell to my hip as I frowned and shook my head. I didn't want to think about this right now, but memories flooded back to me that I hadn't thought of in years. With a sigh I left the cabin and shut the door behind me. I shivered as the cold hit me, snowflakes falling down from the sky. The girl still had my cloak… I frowned and looked over at Solas's cabin as I headed up the stairs, my eyes moving to the Chantry slowly. I saw a Templar helping a woman into the tall building making me stop completely. The memory of the first time I met Leon bubbling to the forefront of my mind…

 _Dumonde: 9:37 Dragon_

 _My boots clicked against the cobblestone beneath me. The world deathly silent for a moment as I stayed in the shadows. I was wound tight, ready to pounce at anything and everything that dared get too close. Justinia's exact words were for me to scout out the damage that was taking place and report back to her. Nothing more, nothing less._ _ **Good.**_ _The faster I can get out of here the better. I'd heard of these abominations, but never fought one myself. Not that I wouldn't be up for the challenge if it presented itself, but these gruesome monsters…something about them gave me a strange feeling. Something like a profound hatred or fear, or somewhere in between. My black cloak hid my daggers as I continued to walk through the alleyways when suddenly an explosion rocked the ground. I stumbled against a wall of a stone building as my eyes searched the skyline for the explosion. My eyes widened when I saw the direction it was coming from. I scurried up a building to stare at the explosion of the circle tower that once stood at the edge of the city. I shielded my eyes as a shock wave blew past me. Screams of people in their homes and on the street raised to my ears._

" _The Templars have destroyed the Circle Tower! They've saved us!" Some screamed while others mourned the death of the mages inside. I stared wide eyed at the horror that fear had caused. My eyes traveled down when I heard a little girl cry. I slid to the corner of the roof and saw a Templar pulling a younger girl along._

" _Come on and keep your voice down." He told her as he dragged her through alleyway after alleyway avoiding the main streets. I followed them cautiously, my curiosity peaking, but also my fear for the young girl. I kept pursuing the Templar man as he suddenly stopped I did so too. My eyes traveled behind him noticing other Templars._

" _You!" They cried and suddenly the Templar and the girl took off, running and sliding through alleyways. She cried out in fear as she jumped and skidded through the alleys. My interest peaked once more and I ran after them along rooftops to keep up. The shingles clicking underneath my feet as I continued after them. I looked straight up ahead and saw the Chantry standing tall with the city square just in front of it. The man and the girl ran as fast as they could to the Chantry. My eyes widened as I watched them and ran faster leaping onto a house, but I was a little too short and instead went through the open window on the top floor. I rolled upon landing and looked back at the window in surprise._ Totally meant to do that. _I heard a squeal and looked around to see a boy staring at me with wide eyes as he held his covers up to his nose in fright. I pushed myself up and ran over to his window and opened it._

" _Uh...sorry." I apologized as I ran to the other window and opened it before leaping out and running off towards the Chantry. I slid next to the wall of the Chantry looking around it to see the Templar with the girl banging on the door, begging them to open up._

" _You, Knight! Step away from the Mage." The Templar in front yelled as he stayed next to the mage. He looked down at her before looking back at the Templars._

" _Knight! Did you not hear me!? I said step away from the Mage!" The same Templar yelled and I watched as the Templar with the girl turn fully towards the other Templars and pull the girl behind him._

" _Stay behind me, no matter what." He whispered as he stared at the other Templars. I crawled up the bricks as I heard some one else coming down the alleyway I was in. Once I had scaled the wall I moved onto the ledge of the Chantry roof and squatted down to watch the scene play out. Maker, how interesting. "She is innocent. She's done nothing to deserve what happened to the others." He yelled and the other Templars looked at each other then at him with distaste._

" _No Mage is innocent. You heard what happened in Kirkwall. Mages are dangerous and they need to be eradicated before they can hurt anyone." The same Templar spoke up again as the others nodded in agreeance._

" _Don't let her poison your mind, brother. She is not innocent. Nothing magic touches is innocent anymore." He argued with the man and I looked down to the side to see some Templars hiding behind the wall, two of them and I assumed there were also two on the other side as well. These people are dead. "Give her to us brother, and we will forget you did this." He coaxed and I saw the other Templar shift his weight as he moved his hand to his sword discreetly. They weren't letting him go._

" _Please. She's a good person, she'd never do anything like what those others did. I swear it on my life." The Templar with the girl cried as he seemed to be getting a little desperate, understanding fully what his morals have costed him. "Brothers, listen to me. Our orders are wrong. We can't just kill innocent people. There is still time to rectify this." He yelled as the men moved into view from behind the building. My eyes widened slightly as I watched, 1,2,3,4,5,6...10. Ten men for one Mage and Templar. I shook my head as I pulled some throwing knives out of my pocket. My hand paused though, hovering under my cloak._ I shouldn't get involved. I should just stay out of this and report what I've seen. Let whatever is about to happen, happen. _I told myself as I watched them silently, the knives still between my fingers. The men all moved in, the Templar with the girl backing away into the door of the Chantry. "Please, I'm begging you. Leave this woman alone. She's innocent. We're Templars, we don't hurt innocents." He pleaded as my eyes scanned the area noticing a Templar, a dirty blonde haired man staring at me. I felt like hiding all of the sudden, but I was already seen and he wasn't raising an alarm. I tilted my head to him in confusion and he frowned. He looked back down at the scene before him as the girl was pulled away from the man who was crying out her name. Once they were separated, the larger Templar with shining armor glared down at the man who had been protecting her._

" _You're a disgrace to the Order." He hissed as he pulled his blade and held it towards the man. "If you want to save her, then you will perish with her as well." I watched him as he raised the sword over the man and brought it down._

 _ **Clang.**_

I shook myself back to reality as the door to the Chantry opened up, my eyes darting around me as people walked in and out of the massive doors. I shook my head, my eyes searching the people that walked around me to make sure no one had noticed me. I shook my head and moved forward towards Solas's cabin and saw a figure walking forward down the other path, blonde hair and fur mantle. I tilted my head as I noticed flowers in his hands. He walked up the stairs by the rocks as I moved through the space between the two cabins and he knocked on Solas's door. I lifted my eyebrow and strolled up next to the Commander with a small smile on my lips.

"Good morning, Commander." I greeted noticing him stiffen slightly as if he hadn't heard me approach and looked down to me.

"Good morning, Lady Protector. Did you sleep well?" He asked a little awkwardly making me smirk.

"I did, and you?" I asked in return noticing a wary look in his eyes directed towards me.

"Quite well actually." He replied, I could tell there was something more he wanted to say. There's no way Jim could've talked to him already...right? It was like 15 minutes ago. Solas came to the door and I smiled at him.

"Good morning Solas." I greeted with a small smile. He bowed his head to both of us with a soft smile.

"Good morning Lady Protector, Commander." He greeted and looked back into his cabin. "I assume you are here to check on the girls health?" I nodded in unison with Cullen. Solas stepped aside opening the door wide for both of us to enter. Once we were in the cabin, my eyes scanned the area till I found the girl lying on a cot in the corner. A bowl next to her head and a rag on her head. "Her condition is well. She should be fully healed in a couple of days. As for now she is stable." Solas said making a soft smile come to my lips.

"Thank you for all you did for her, Solas." I said and he nodded before looking towards the door.

"That reminds me, I must go retrieve something. Would you mind looking after her, I'll only be a moment." He said and I nodded in response as he walked out. I looked to the girl as Cullen stepped forward and placed the flowers he'd had in his hands in a vase on a nightstand. The girl slept soundly, a rasp in her breathing.

"I contacted the Scout Allen to update him on her status." He said quietly as he looked back towards me. "He asked me to thank you for what you did. For giving her a chance." He added making a frown come to my lips as I regarded her.

"I'd rather not take the credit for this." I said as I watched the girl's chest move up and down methodically with each rasp of breath.

"Why not?" Cullen asked me as he turned fully. "You saved her." He argued, but I shook my head.

"I settled a debt. She saved my life, I saved hers. It was for my own conscious. You however...you had no reason to help her and you did. You should be the one to get the credit." I said and he frowned at me, but he seemed to understand a moment later. He nodded as he looked back towards the girl.

"I think I understand." He said as he looked down at the girl. This girl who had impacted me so much with her bravery. Her selflessness. For someone she didn't even know. Someone like me. I was so sick and tired of people saving me. I ran a hand through my hair as I sighed. There's no way he could understand, however he was intelligent. He's called me out many times before and had seldom been wrong. Maker have I become that transparent? "However, I cannot say that I helped her for no reason. In fact, I mainly helped because you needed help. You forget I was going to leave here there to die in peace." He said as he watched her remorsefully. "I regret it now, but at the time...it seemed like the better option. You inspired me when you told me you'd help her even though the odds were against you. That you'd give her a chance because you'd want the same courtesy." He said with a nod, a serious look on his face as he crossed his arms and shifted his feet.

"Inspired you." I chuckled as I looked towards the girl.

"Why do you find that amusing? I think-"

"Lady Protector?" The girl spoke up. Her voice sounding like she hadn't drank water in weeks. Scratchy and dry from the damage the poison had caused...that I had caused. I frowned as I looked down at her. Her head was turned towards me, her eyelids slightly open. I crouched down to her and gave her a short smile. She smiled back as she took a deep breath. "Am I...Am I going to be okay?" She asked as she grimaced and touched her sore throat.

"Solas says you're going to live…" I responded and saw her nod as she took another deep breath and cringed before coughing. I frowned as I watched her convulse before relaxing and taking yet another deep breath and coughing again. I shook my head as I grabbed her arm. "What's-what's wrong with me? Why can't I breathe?" She asked through coughs. I saw panic in her eyes, a fear that I understood. Her hand curled into the covers as she choked. I heard Cullen's feet moving quickly.

"I'll get Solas." He threw over his shoulder as he jogged out of the cabin. I looked to the girl and shook my head, my eyebrows pinching together.

"Stop it." I ordered as she choked. Her eyes widened as she looked to me. "Fear is useless. Listen to my voice and calm down." I stated adamantly as I stared into her eyes.

"I'm sorry." She choked as she tried to take a deep breath to calm herself. She coughed again, her eyes tearing up. I shook my head as I gripped her hand.

"Shallow breaths. Slow, shallow breathing." I urged as I tried to be gentler. She stared as she tried to start to calm herself down. "In through your nose, out through your mouth. Shallow, slow breaths." I said as I watched her. There was still panic in her as she could feel her scarred lungs contract. She jolted, but worked through it. I watched her as I heard footsteps running closer to the cabin. She watched me as I continued to breathe with her. She calmed down, her breathing back to normal as the Commander and Solas ran back in. They stopped however when they saw that the girl had calmed.

"I am sorry, Lady Protector, I did not mean to-"

"Don't apologize." I told her as I looked away and stood from my crouch.

"Ah, Lady Protector, I see you managed to calm her. Well done." He praised as he looked to me and the girl. I nodded and looked towards the door and was about to move to it when a hand grabbed my wrist, quick but gentle. I looked back down at the girl to see her eyes turned to me.

"I wanted to ask you, after I'm healed. I want to train." There was a pause as her eyes searched mine. Uncertainty in her own as her hand loosened on my wrist. "Would you train me?" She asked me, and it made my heart hurt. Odds are she'd never truly heal. She would be safer just staying as a scout. Maybe...maybe she could be a spy of sorts.

"That's something to talk to Sister Leliana about. I can't help you." I replied calmly, but she shook her head.

"Please. I already asked Sister Leliana when she came by last night. She said that she didn't have time to train another agent. I want to defend myself. I want to fight for the Inquisition. You can train me, can't you? " She argued as she stared up at me, a plea now replacing the uncertainty in her eyes.

"Then I'm sure the Commander can oblige. He has new recruits coming in every day." I recommended as I looked towards Cullen whose eyebrows were pinched together as he regarded me. She frowned as she looked between Cullen and I before settling on me again. She pushed herself up onto her elbows, but grimaced when she did.

"I am not a soldier. I'm a scout, but I can do more. I promise. I can help, I can fight, I just need to be trained. You can train me. You already trust me don't you? I saved your life." She argued with me making my temper rise slightly. Why did she want me to teach her so badly? Why did she want to fight? She has a perfectly good reason to not fight, to stay out of harm's way.

"Sorry, kid. But, I'm not going to train you. Find someone else." I told her and turned away before walking out of the door. She didn't want to fight, she didn't want this life. She has someone who loves her, who wanted to give everything to save her. If she becomes like me...she risks losing all of that. Just like I did… I couldn't do that to someone so innocent. I didn't want her to have to fight at all. Nothing good could come out of me training her. I was walking away, not bothering to look back. My temper had rose and I had not been kind to her. Part of me was annoyed by that, the other rationalized my reaction. She was being annoying, and she didn't understand what she was saying. Maker, I need to blow off some steam. I moved towards the training area, but saw someone running towards me out of the corner of my eye. I turned my head to them noticing that it was the Herald.

"Quinn!" He called out as he smiled at me, "Good Morning! I had a question for you." He released a heavy breath before smiling. "Well, Varric wanted me to ask you, well not just Varric, but Bull and Blackwall as well. They're having a competition of sorts, duels and they were wondering if you wanted to compete?" I lifted an eyebrow and smirked.

"Are you also competing in this tourney?" I asked and he blushed as he scratched at the back of his head.

"I kind of already lost." He laughed as he looked down at me. "But, I think as my champion you should do far better!" I lifted an eyebrow at that. His champion?

"Are you going to give me your handkerchief and a kiss as well?" I teased with a nudge making him chuckle and shake his head.

"I unfortunately don't have the first item handy at the moment, but as for the second…" He moved down quicker than I thought he would and gave me a peck on the cheek. My eyes widened making him chuckle again with a bright smile.

"Lady Protector are you speechless?" He asked me with a grin. I shook myself from my shock and glared up at him playfully. With a punch to his shoulder I walked past him.

"Flirt." I threw over my shoulder as I walked forward towards the training grounds. "I will compete in this tourney. It seems like fun."

* * *

With a swipe of my blade I won the fight. I grinned as I knocked the blade from Blackwall's hand and lifted that same blade to his beard. He chuckled as he looked down at his beard.

"Easy there, My Lady, I've been working very hard on this beard." He explained with a grin making me grin as well.

"I would never harm that masterpiece, my friend. Don't fear." I replied as I sheathed my blade. With a grin I looked to the sparse crowd around me who cheered for my victory. I looked to Bull as he stepped into the ring, a smirk on his face as he looked down at me.

"Looks like you're up against me next Boss." He greeted and I grinned as I nodded.

"If I beat you, I win right?" I asked and he nodded in response.

"That's right. But, don't expect to win. I've seen your moves." He replied intelligently making me smirk. I shouldn't underestimate him. I nearly lost to Blackwall because I underestimated him.

"Don't worry, My Lady! You just have to stand on his left side!" I heard Krem yell from outside the ring and I snickered with laughter as I looked from Krem to Bull.

"Good one, Krem. How long did it take you to come up with that one?" He snorted as he looked back to Krem.

"Two minutes, sir. Just about how long you lasted with that barmaid last night." He called back making me laugh harder. Shaking my head I readied myself for the fight as Varric shot Bianca off into the distance as a sign that the fight started. Bull pulled his axe off his back as I circled him looking for a way in. I'd seen him fight as well, he always waited for the first attack. I grinned and ran at him. I saw him bend his knees as he brought his axe up to guard, but instead of attacking I slid underneath of his block and pop up just behind him holding my dagger to his back. He turned quicker than expected for his size and blocked again. I flipped away as he tried to counter and landed a few feet from him. The snow crunched beneath my feet as I took a deep breath to steady myself. He ran at me this time, his axe at his side as he barreled towards me. I waited till the last possible moment and turned my dagger onto its flat side and pushed away from my body. I spun out of the way as his axe embedded itself in the fence post. The people surrounding the area backing away as he pulled it out.

"You're pretty quick, Boss." He applauded as he moved forward. I followed his movements, his axe, his eye as he moved. He let the axe cut through the snow and i knew it was my turn to attack. As fast as lightning I ran around the dueling area and then towards him gaining enough speed. He moved to block me again, but instead of going behind him I leapt onto the railing and shoved off. My legs wrapped around his neck and I swung myself grabbing ahold of his chest piece. I gasped, however, when my leg got hooked on his horn. I grunted in annoyance as I tried to leap off, but he caught my foot with his hand and held me upside down in front of him. I crossed my arms over my chest as I stared at Iron Bull. I placed my other foot on my calf. He chuckled at me as he lifted me up and down like I were a doll.. "Damn you're light." He laughed as he continued to lift me.

"Could you put me down please?" I asked making him chuckle louder. I rolled my eyes as I pointed my foot and used my other to kick his wrist. My hands flew out underneath me to catch myself and I rolled back up into a standing position. The fight carried on back and forth for a while and I had started to get impatient. I saw my opening suddenly. His movements starting to get just as tired as mine. I grinned and acted as if I were going to try and leap onto his neck again, but at the last second pulled my feet in towards his chest as he tried to block his neck. I went down with him and pointed my blades at his neck with a grin. He chuckled loudly as he smiled at me.

"Nicely Done, Boss!" He yelled and I grinned as he lifted himself up, me getting off his chest and sheathing my weapons. I held out my hand to him and he took it hoisting himself up. He thanked me as he clapped a hand on my shoulder. I shook my head, grinning up at the large man as cheers erupted from the crowd around us. I shook my head at them and looked towards the Herald who was clapping loudly. Varric stood on the fence smirking at the crowd.

"Anyone else feel like taking on the greatest fighter in all of Thedas?" He asked making me shake my head.

"Varric, I'm worn out. I'd rather not fight again." I said as I ran a hand through my hair hoping to shake out the snow from me tumbling to avoid Bull's attacks.

"Nonsense, I've seen you take on dozens of guys at the same time! Does anyone dare challenge the Herald's Protector? Bets are starting at 4 silver!" I smacked him, but laughed at him as I started to climb out of the dueling area. "Curly! Just the man I was looking for. Do you dare duel the Lady Protector?" Varric asked as he smirked at the Commander. My eyes went from Varric to Cullen who looked to me with a lift of his eyebrow. I looked back up to Varric as the crowd went quiet looking between us. I let out a small huff of annoyance at Varric's love for dramatics. Cullen looked around himself and I saw Rylen just behind him nudge him forward. Cullen glared at the man behind him.

"I apologize, Varric, but I do have paperwork to get to." The Commander called back, glancing at me shortly as he started to move away. _Alright Varric, I'll play your game._

"I challenge you, Commander." I called out hearing the crowd 'ooh' around us. Cullen's eyes settled on me, a look of excitement in his eyes as he tried to keep his features neutral. "After all, what do you have to fear? You don't lose, remember?" I asked making a twitch of a smile come to his lips. "However, neither do I." He swallowed it and looked to the crowd noticing a majority of them were his soldiers. I grinned as I crossed my arms. The soldiers cheered as he stepped forward, patting his arms in excitement and encouragement. Hopping over the fence he looked to me before pulling off his mantle and hanging it over the fence.

"Now, this is interesting." Varric said as he hopped off the fence and looked to me with a wink. "You'll thank me later." He said as he smirked towards Cullen who was looking in between us. I glared at the dwarf as he moved next to the Herald who was now accompanied by Bull, and Blackwall. Bull raised his fist towards me and I smirked as I loosened up my shoulders and rolled my wrists.

"You've got this, Quinn!" Trevelyan called out and I grinned as I turned towards my competitor. My eyes widened a little when I noticed he'd taken off his armor and was now currently only in his pants and a linen shirt. _Shit._ He seemed to notice that I was staring and I noticed the smirk in his eyes although he kept a straight face. With a lift of my eyebrow I shirked off my jacket now only in my linen shirt as well.

"Now we're even." I said and he chuckled quietly to himself as he stepped forward, his shield and sword in hand. I pulled my daggers and Varric grinned between the two of us as he lifted his crossbow towards the mountains and fired signaling that the fight was starting. I grinned as I bent my legs slightly to get ready for any attack as Cullen resumed a defensive pose. One I'd seen many times in Dumonde, one I'd even been taught. I forced myself to focus on the Commander as he moved around me. I slid my daggers out of their sheaths as I closed my eyes waiting for the attack that I figured wouldn't come. He was taking far too long. Footsteps sliding through the snow, crunching with careful precision, ball of the foot to the back of the heel. Careful steps, carefully measuring me up when suddenly. _There._ I attacked. My blades snapped out towards Cullen. He blocked the attack with his shield and his sword, his eyes on me.

"I don't like making the first move, you know." I said casually making a smile come to his lips.

"Neither do I." He replied as he pushed me back away from him.

"Oh, I've noticed." I teased making him tilt his head to the side before he blushed slightly. I didn't let him sit there long however, I turned the blades in my hand and attacked again, but that confounded shield got in my way once again. I needed to get in close to him and take that shield away, but would I even be able to? He seemed impenetrable...I needed to see. I ran towards him, but quickly redirected the blow towards his side. His eyes went wide as he quickly pulled his sword to block the blow. _Good I got past the shield-_ He brought his shield around and bashed me backwards. I skidded on the snow, my hand near the ground to stop myself before I ran forward again. This time rolling behind his defense and bringing my dagger up towards his back and nicking the fabric on his shoulder blade careful not to cut him in the short amount of time I had. Without the armor on, it was hard to see where the blind spots of Templars were, but now… _Shit._ He spun and I backed away before running forward again. I leapt upwards, but this time he raised his shield and backed away making me fall short. I landed and watched him with interest at him already guessing my moves. He way he was watching me made me itch a little. This intensity in his golden eyes that both looked playful and competitive. Anyway, I now visually had the two places every Templar was vulnerable, but I was now noticing that it did me little good. Cullen was intelligent, he'd already started to block me more with that blasted shield.

"How come every time I am in a fight with you, my shirts get torn?" He asked making me smirk at his joke that only I could hear.

"Perhaps I just want to get you out of them?" I returned making him chuckle as he looked away momentarily before looking back up at me. My eyes moved to his shoulder however, and I paused my attack. "How is your shoulder? I just remembered…" He smiled as he rolled it.

"Healed. Thank you for your concern." He replied and I grinned waving him off.

"Just making sure our fight is fair." I stated as I got ready.

"A little late for that, isn't it?"

"You could always surrender." I suggested as I ran towards him. He blocked as I attacked, but that's what I wanted. Leaping upwards I kicked him in his shield throwing him off balance and shoved as hard as I could. He stumbled backwards into the fence to catch himself as I flipped backwards and landed on a railing in a squat. He pulled the shield back onto to his correctly making me grin. His eyes found me, perched on the fence like a cat. He ran at me, his sword at the ready. I flipped over him, his sword barely catching me as I landed behind him and held my dagger to the back of his neck. He swung his shield around throwing me backwards. I growled in annoyance. Maker I hate shields. I rolled into a standing position and frowned as I looked down at my shirt to see a slit in the side of it. I showed him with an incredulous look. "Really?" I asked making him shrug in response. I took a breath and watched him as he got ready for the attack.

He had started to hold the shield further away from his body since I was constantly using it against him. Perfect. I ran at him and acted as if I were going to jump, noticing his shield tilt upwards as well as his sword. I quickly sheathed my daggers as I slid under his sword and up under his shield. Spinning quickly, my back collided with his front hearing a 'oof' sound come from his lips as I grabbed the shield from his arm, the shock of me being so close so suddenly loosening his grip. I grinned and yanked it free as he brought his blade down to attack. I spun away and held the shield up to blow the sword. The crowd went silent in shock as I stood from the assault of the Commander and smirked at him from behind it. He was watching me, shock apparent in his eyes, but he also looked impressed if not a little annoyed as well. I placed the shield against the fence as I pulled the daggers. "Now that that's out of the way we can have some real fun." I said as I pulled my daggers and ran at him. The sound of metal clanging as he blocked and countered with his sword against my daggers.

"So, when I win I get a favor from you, correct?" He asked and I paused giving him an opening as he brought his blade towards me. I slid away from it and attacked him. He stopped the blade as I brought my other around. His hand released the pommel and grabbed my wrist.

"That was the deal, wasn't it?" I asked and he nodded as he and I both pushed against each other. His strength was obviously winning, he could easily overpower me. "Why? Already have one in mind?" I asked him as I strained.

"Actually, I do." He panted as he looked down at me. "I win, you train the girl." He added making me stutter in confusion and giving himself the upper hand. I gasped as he shoved and my knees buckled. I fell into the snow and quickly placed my feet onto his abdomen. As we both hit the ground I let the momentum help me throw him off. I stood gracefully as he pushed himself up to his feet.

"You seem fairly confident in your abilities, Commander." I replied as I got ready for an attack. His feet turned in the snow as he ran at me. "I am also fairly confident. If I win, you join us for drinks later." The crowd cheered around us for both the Commander and me. He didn't seem to notice as he ran at me, his blade at the ready. I dodged the blow easily and countered, but he was ready as he deflected it. The metal of the sword flashing at me in the light of the sun and breach, giving it an odd look as it came towards me. Just as quick as it came towards me I'd moved behind him and was about to attack when I caught a figure out of the corner of my eye. It was only a second, but I saw it. A red bird, one that I knew flew just over the crowd. It was enough to distract me for the moment as this feeling of familiarity overwhelmed me. When I came back I saw Cullen's elbow speeding at my face. I couldn't move fast enough and it collided with my lip and I skidded away my hand going to my lip. I touched it and saw blood on the tips of my fingers and tasted it in my mouth. His eyes went wide as he looked towards me taking a step forward.

"Maker's breath! My Lady I apologize-" I grinned as I touched it and then at him. I heard Varric chuckle from the corner.

"Oh, you've done it now, Curly." Varric called out with a laugh, "I've seen that look before." He added and it made me smirk as I regarded the Commander. It made me wonder for a moment what he was referencing. _There was no need to_ _ **really**_ _fight Cullen. I wasn't the only one holding back after all._ His eyes on me in confusion as I tucked my dagger away using only one and a small throwing knife. He tilted his head to me making me smirk as I slid my foot back and assumed my own offensive stance. One moment I was there and the next I was speeding towards him. He flinched at the speed I was at and I grinned as I flipped over him and kicked him in his back. He fell forward and I grinned as he recovered and stumbled before turning towards me. My hair was coming loose from the band as I burst forward, my hair whipping behind me as I leapt forward, my dagger embedding into the ground swinging myself at a rapid speed. My legs were extended knocking Cullen's feet from underneath him. I abruptly stopped myself with my foot throwing myself upwards. He scrambled for his sword as I did and he swiped it just I got close. He brought it up towards me and I pushed against his strength, but it was futile. In fact, it was almost funny the way he was able to keep me up without struggle. "Damn your strength." I cursed with a slight laugh as I struggled to gain the upper hand. He chuckled as he shoved me away with an infuriating ease. I rolled onto my back kicking his hand holding his blade and it fell from his hand. I rolled up and as he scrambled for his blade. I threw my throwing knife forward and embedded the now loose from the slits I'd made. He jerked against the knife ripping his sleeve as I ran towards him. He tore the knife out and grabbed his sword. He spun to me and countered my blow bringing his blade towards me. I spun into him to dodge and went under his arm, my blade coming towards his back. He slid to the side and drew up his sword. My heart beat faster and faster in my chest as he spun and blocked again. Suddenly he took me by surprise and went to sweep my feet with his left leg. I grabbed a hold of his shoulder, my leg hooking around his other leg to keep myself up. My dagger at his neck.

"I win." I laughed and he smirked down at me as his eyes moved to his hand which was holding the knife that I had embedded in his shirt. I rolled my eyes as I panted and laughed. He chuckled as well and looked to the crowd as they cheered. "I guess it is a draw then." I said and he smiled as I backed away from him, his hand sliding past my hip. Maker he was a good fighter. We looked to the crowd who cheered loudly making me laugh a little more as he did next to me. He leant down next to my ear,

"Perhaps next time we have a duel you will not take it easy on me." He said with a smirk that I returned.

"Same for you, Commander." I teased making his smirk widen as he shook his head.

"As you wish, My Lady." He chuckled as he picked up the various articles of his attire and hopped over the fence. Soldiers patted his shoulders and his back cheering for their champion as I heard my friends cheering.

"Maker's breath that was one of the best fights I've ever watched!" Trevelyan exclaimed as he smiled at me. "You almost beat the Commander!"

"Actually, we were fairly even. I'm not sure what would've happened." I replied with a secret smile on my lips as my eyes followed the Commander who was moving to his tent. _I hope we do this again, Commander. It was fun._ Varric and Bull looked to me as they waved their hand.

"Come on, Boss. Let's get some drinks." He chuckled and I nodded in agreement as we set off towards the tavern. I stopped however, my eyes lingering on the spot where I'd seen the bird appear and disappear during the fight. Perhaps it was a figment of my imagination, but...it still stirred this uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. I looked around myself once more to make sure the figure wasn't still lurking when I heard my name called.

"My Lady, is something wrong?" Blackwall called out as he turned back towards me about halfway up the stairs. I pulled my eyes away from my surroundings, shaking my head in response.

"I'm...honestly not sure..." I responded quietly as I moved forward and smiled at him. "Shall we?" I asked as I held out my hand towards the tavern. He nodded and we walked forward together up the stairs.

* * *

 _Empress of Fire, In the reign of the lion  
Eclipsed in the eye of the empire of we Orlesians.  
Empress of Fire, What season may come  
We fight for the day, You'll restore our heart and bring us to glory  
We are forever in our graces._

The bard's tune was a delightful background noise to pair to the cheering and laughing of my companions. For the life of me though I couldn't figure out why they were so excited, so happy. Did they not worry about what would happen tomorrow? Did they not fear for the Herald's life as I did? Tomorrow...facing Alexius in his-Teagan's castle. Maker knew what kind of trap he had ready for us. For the Herald… My eyes shifted back to my companions in front of me. Their jovial manners making a small smile come to my lips. They were doing this for the Herald's sake. If they are not worrying he should not either, right? Come to think of it… My eyes scanned my companions and each were sticking fairly close to the Herald, engaging him in conversation and joking with him. _More so than usual._ I felt a small smile come to my lips as I watched them converse when I heard Varric settle onto a chair next to me.

"How do you think the kids doing?" He asked me. I took a swig of my ale, looking to the Herald and then at Varric.

"I think our companions are doing a great job at distracting him." I replied eliciting a smile from him. "I think he's nervous though. Rightfully so. Magisters are nothing to turn your nose up at...I know better than most." I added as I looked back at the Herald who laughed as if we weren't walking into a suicidal mission tomorrow.

"Are you worried?" He asked.

"For myself? No. For him...yes." I replied with a shake of my head. "I am not very good at protecting people." I admitted as I looked down at my hands clutching the beer.

"I don't know about that. You've been doing a pretty decent job so far." He replied with a smirk. His eyes went to the Herald as I looked to him. "He talks about the many times you've saved him in the month that you've known him. How brave and selfless you are." He explained as he looked up at me. "If anyone could keep him safe, Angel, it's you." He added without a hint of a lie in his eyes.

"I guess I'm worried. The world depends on his survival and I'm charged with it...what if I fail? What if I screw up and he dies?" I asked as I looked down into the foamy drink, seeing a bit of my reflection in it.

"You're not alone in this Quinn. We'll help you keep him safe." He said with a small appreciative smile. He moved his hand to my shoulder. "I've never seen you so worried before." He added as he looked over me.

"I just have a bad feeling about this." I replied with a frown towards my drink. I sighed and shook my head. "But, why fear tomorrow when you can live today, right my friend?" I asked and he chuckled as he raised his mug to me. They clinked together softly and I smiled as I chugged it before slamming the mug down on the table. All eyes were on me as I stood with my mug. "Another round for my companions!" Bull cheered loudly followed by Blackwall and Trevelyan. "Bard! Play something lively!" I called out and the Bard looked to me with a smile as her fingers started moving faster on her lute. I grinned as more drinks came and we all clinked our mugs together and downed the contents. Trevelyan gasped loudly after he downed it all and ran his sleeve over his mouth. Bull slapped his back laughing loudly as we continued to drink and joke together. Varric started to tell a story about Hawke. Something about this first time Hawke was stopped in public about being a mage after lighting a man's pants on fire. I chuckled to myself, my hands flying to my sides as they started to ache from Varric's story.

"...and Hawke says to the Templar. "I don't know what you're talking about. That man was lying. It must have been an act of the Maker." He finished making everyone at the table laugh including me. It was then that I heard a deep voice over my shoulder.

"Is this seat taken?" Cullen asked from behind me and I turned to see him looking down at me and then the empty seat politely. I grinned and shook my head as I scooched towards Varric more.

"Not at all, take a seat." I told him earning a smile from him as he took a seat.

"Well, well Curly it's been awhile since I've seen you in here." Varric called out alerting everyone of his presence. Cullen's lips cracked a smile at Varric.

"Yes, I apologize for not being able to make it earlier. I've been fairly busy." He replied to Varric, nodding his head to our companions.

"No need to apologize. You're here now." Varric replied looking to me sneakily. I looked towards Bull as he patted the butt of a busty barmaid.

"Go get the Commander a drink! The man deserves one after that fight today!" She grinned and walked off to the bar.

"Ah, yes! That fight was incredible. You and the Lady neck and neck until the end." Blackwall agreed in excitement as he looked towards us.

"Fights like that really get my heart pumping." Bull grunted from the opposite side of the table as he grabbed the bum of the busty barmaid as she passed him to give Cullen his ale. "Plus giving these people something to watch, it's a good thing. Especially to see their Commander and Protector square off. Really helps moral." Bull added as he looked to us with the barmaid now perched on his lap. I nodded with a grin. Cullen and I both knew about that. I'm sure he did. If he'd won people would have looked down on me slightly as the Heralds Protector, but if he'd lost they would've lost a little faith in him. A draw was the best way to go about it. Cullen chuckled and took a swig of his ale and it made me thirsty. I took a swig of mine as well.

"I agree with you on that one Bull. Ingenious of you Varric to set that up, you must know the people have been nervous about us approaching the mages. Tourneys are historically an excellent method of distraction." He said to Varric as I set my drink down.

"Thanks, Curly. I thought it was a pretty _genius_ idea as well." Varric replied as he nudged me. I rolled my eyes as I took another swig of my drink, a smile coming to my lips.

"You're incorrigible." I muttered to him. He chuckled at me and shook his head. I looked to Cullen as I set my drink down. "You should not encourage him, Cullen. If his head gets any bigger he'll start to tip." I joked making Cullen laugh. I relished in the sound of it as I laughed with him. We continue to talk and laugh and joke as the night went on.

"No, no seriously! Dare her to do anything and she'll do it! Quinn is the queen of dares!" Bull chuckled and leant against the table.

"Alright Boss, I dare you to walk over and kiss that Bard.." Bull said and I lifted my eyebrows. Cullen next to me choked on his ale.

"I don't think that the Lady Protector should be made to do such-"

"Eh, why not?" I said with a wide grin as I planted my hands on the desk. "A kiss means nothing." I stated as I stood and walked over to the Bard. She looked to me as her song slowed. I grabbed her gently by her shirt and pulled her into me. She was wide eyed as I dragged my lips to hers. She stared wide eyed before her eyes closed and she kissed me back. I pulled away, the Bard following me slightly before she opened her eyes again. Her cheeks were bright pink as the crowd around us cheered.

"You have a beautiful voice." I whispered close to her noticing her swoon a little.

"I...um thank you. I c-can sing for you again. I mean if you want me to...of course." She stuttered as she looked between my eyes and my lips. I giggled at her and shook my head.

"Thank you. What's your name?" I asked making her blush more.

"Alera." She said and I smiled and nodded to her as I turned.

"Thank you for the kiss, Alera. It was wonderful." I told her as I walked back to the table to see my companions all with shocked faces, all except for Varric who was simply smirking. He held out his palm to Bull who dug into his pocket for some silvers. "That should prove that you should never bet against me." I replied haughtily as I took a swig of my ale. A second later the table erupted into chatter as Bull laughed loudly and gave me a high five.

"Nice job, Boss." He said before he looked to the woman sitting on his lap and whispering something in her ear. She blushed a bright red and looked at him with a bright smile.

"Why you brute!" She laughed and he chuckled loudly as he suddenly slung her over his shoulder before turning to us and nodded. I laughed and took a swig of my ale before shaking my head. I followed Bull with my eyes and noticed the bird from earlier sitting on the window sill, watching me. My eyes widened slightly as I stared back at the bird. Why did it seem so familiar? It's red feathers glistening in the light of the candles.

"What is it, Quinn?" Cullen asked me as he made to stand up. I placed my hand on his shoulder and shook my head.

"I just need some air. Stay here, I'll be right back." I said as I got up from my seat and walked towards the bird, feeling the eyes of my companion on me as I walked towards the window, but it flew away. My eyebrows knitted together as I walked out of the Tavern to find where the bird had gone. I frowned as my eyes scanned the area, just then I heard the chirp of the bird. I moved towards it, my hands ready to snatch my daggers at any moment. My heart beat in time with my silent steps as I moved through the shadows and towards the sound of the bird. I saw it as it flew over the gate to Haven and I stopped. _Was it a trap?_ More than likely. _Should I go?_ I paused thinking about before I nodded and leapt onto the gate looking around as I saw the little red bird flying towards the southern Gate to Haven. I tilted my head as I ran towards it. The snow crunching beneath my boot as I moved forward towards the gate. I passed torch by torch when I noticed that the torches closest to the gate were blown out. My hand slid to my dagger and I held it behind my back. I stepped forward as my eyes moved to the shadows and I felt my pulse jump when three throwing knives split the air towards me. With three precise movements I deflected them as my eyes shifted to the shadow next to the Gate. A black hooded figure step out from behind a boulder, the little red bird flying past him and landing on the rocks with a little chirp. I lifted my eyebrow as I pulled the dagger behind my back ready for another attack.

"It's interesting that you came that easily." The man spoke, a voice that sparked a strange feeling of recognition in me. Please Maker...don't let me be right. "Are you really Quinn Thedran?" He asked as he paced to the left watching me. "Your father might be a little disappointed in you." He added, my guess was that he was trying to get a rise out of me, but I stayed impassive towards his efforts.

"My Father is dead." I replied calmly, but my heart burned in my chest. I tried to ignore the buzz of the alcohol in me, but the cold air was doing a great job at sobering me. "But, my Father's disappointment comes as no surprise to me. You're not telling me anything new." I replied as I leant against the boulder next to me. The hooded man chuckled.

"Oh, I don't know about that. From what I remember he treasured you more than anyone. You were his best pupil and the best assassin to ever pass through the guild. That is until you abandoned us, Sparrow." He replied nearly cracking my perfect impassivity.

"What do you want? It's fairly late and I've got a big day tomorrow. So could we wrap this up?" I replied boredly as I folded my arms over my chest. I heard an annoyed growl from the person.

"You think you're so much better than us, don't you? Your father's precious Sparrow. You got everything while the rest of us were left with nothing! No one was good enough after you!" His voice raised at me and I could hear the snarl in his voice. I smirked as I watched his hooded form.

"Oh, I am much better than you. You know who I am, which means that you were in the Guild while I was." I started as I looked to the bird. "It's interesting, I knew a boy there who went under the name of Avis. He had a thing for birds, in fact would train them to lure his enemies to him right before he kills them." I said as I watched the man stand completely still as if he were in shock. "Tell me Avis, what does a B-rank Assassin like you think you can do to an S-rank like me?" I asked as I watched him was fighting so hard to stay impassive. If it was truly Avis...Maker just please don't let it be Avis. He was still, completely still, his anger evident. An assassin's worst fear is to be known and I knew him well.

"How-What gave me away?" He asked, his voice shaking.

"You don't think I'd remember you, Avis? I remember all my brothers and sisters. You may forget, but I helped to train you." I pointed out with a kind tone in my voice for my assassin brother.

"I am not your brother! You left me! Left us!" He yelled as he approached me. "We needed you and you were nowhere to be found!" He yelled at me as he kept stepping forward.

"You know why I left Avis." I reminded as I looked him over. He snarled at me as he moved forward.

"You left because you didn't care about the rest of us!" I shook my head.

"That's not true and you know it, Avis. You are my brother."

"I AM NOT YOUR BROTHER!" He yelled as he pulled a dagger. I waited for him to come closer, my dagger at the ready. "You don't have the right to talk to me! I am a loyal Assassin to the Guild! You're a deserter!" He yelled as he ran at me. I shook my head as I deflected his strike easily. Brother or not I'd kill him if I had to. He growled as I deflected another one of his strikes, his blade glancing off mine before I counter struck. He was wide open on his side and I slid my blade against his unprotected side hearing him gasp in pain. I was behind him now. I kicked his knees in from behind and pulled my blade to his neck. He stilled, his hands frozen in front of him. "Do it. Kill me!" He yelled, but I shook my head as I threw him away from me.

"No." I stated as he stumbled away from me. "I will not shed any more blood for the Guild." I replied as I stared at him. "You didn't come here to attack me, you came here to die. I'll have no part in it." I added as I turned from him. "Go home, Avis. You're done here." I told him as I turned and walked back towards the front gate to Haven. I didn't want to hurt him, Maker knows I didn't. _Please Avis, don't make me._

"NO! I won't go back! I'll kill everyone in that town if that's what it takes for you to take me seriously! Do you hear me!?" He screamed and I paused as I looked at him over my shoulder.

"No, you won't Avis. Now, I will give you one last chance to go home. If you attack these people. I'll have no choice." I replied as I turned around again.

"DON'T YOU TURN YOUR BACK ON ME!" He screamed as he ran at me with a great amount of speed. Instinctively I pulled my other dagger. My left hand blocked the attack aimed towards my heart as I brought my other hand forward with the dagger in it and felt it sink into his flesh. He gasped as he stared at me with wide, pained eyes. I felt sorrow for the boy I knew before me as a dribble of blood came from his lips. His blade dropped from his palm and he collapsed. I eased him down to the ground and held him up against me as I ran a hand over his hair closing my eyes.

"I'm sorry, Avis. I'm so sorry I left you." I whispered hearing him choke and gag on his blood. His eyes started to leak tears as I held onto him gently. My hand ran over his hair as I held him up with my arm over his chest. He convulsed as I held him trying to comfort him in his last moments. "Maker I'm so sorry." I whispered to him as he gasped for air before he eyelids shut and his breathing nearly stopped. "Et obumbratio receperint vos, Brother." I whispered to him as I laid a kiss on his forehead. Suddenly I heard the sound of footsteps, only one pair come forward and I looked up from Avis to see another hooded figure. He slowed as he walked forward, but he seemed out of breath.

"I'm too late…" He whispered as he moved towards me. I laid Avis down gently in the snow, the red and contrasting so darkly against the pure white snow. Red chirped madly as he circled around Avis's body before landing on his shoulder and nuzzling his head against him. "This shouldn't have happened." He added as he leant down to Avis and looked him over.

"He gave me no choice." I replied as I watched the man kneel down next to Avis. "I gave him his last rites." I added making the man look up at me before he nodded and looked back down to Avis. The hooded man lifted Avis into his arms and nodded to me.

"As I said, this should not have happened." He responded as he watched me turn from him. "You remembered him, though?" He asked making me pause. I knew his voice, but I couldn't place it...

"Of course I did, I remember all of my brothers and sisters." I said, repeating myself from earlier. The man nodded as he looked down at Avis again. I took a breath as I turned back to him completely and with a stern look I raised my dagger. "My name is Quinn Thedran, daughter of Aliterus Thedran, former S-rank assassin of the Assassin's Guild, you witness this and tell the others who mean to cause me or these people harm. This will be the fate of anyone or anything that attempts to harm the people of this town or myself. If I find any more of the Guild sneaking around here I will seek you out and kill all who have means to cause me or the Herald of Andraste harm. There is no more need for meaningless bloodshed. Now leave and never return." I hissed as I lowered my blade now covered in the blood of my brother.

"I understand, Sparrow. You will see no more of these attacks. You have my word." He said and with a rush of wind he was gone. I felt my hand shake as I looked down to the blade in my hand. Sorrow gripping at my heart at the realization that I'd killed Avis. The boy that I trained from the moment he came into the guild.

"The shouts came from over here, Commander!" My eyes widened and before they could see me I dissapeared from view and gracefully swung over the gate landing next to my training grounds without a sound. My hands continued to shake and I collapsed next to a post. Leaning against it I looked down at the dagger in my hand, staring at it in distaste.

" _Hey, you! Get out of here! You don't belong here!" Tayen yelled at a boy who was hiding behind my mother's rose bush. He was shaking in fear as we walked up to him._

" _Wait, Tayen hang on." I called out as I moved past him. I knelt down to the boy, my hand outstretched towards him._

" _Quinn, he could be dangerous." Tayen warned from behind me as he cautiously watched the young boy. I ignored him as I smiled at the boy._

" _Come on out. You can't hide here." I said with a smile noticing his wide brown eyes darting left and right looking for an escape. "What's your name?" I asked and he frowned as he stepped out of his hiding spot._

" _Avis." He replied as he looked around shyly. "Maybe you can help him. My friend…he's injured." He said as he opened his hands. Inside was the tiniest bird I think I'd ever seen with it's wing splayed out. I frowned as I looked down at the small bird._

" _We should take him to our healer. If anyone could help your friend it's her." I said making the boy smile brightly._

" _Thank you! Thank you! His name is Red…"_

I felt a tear fall from my eye that I quickly wiped away with resentment. I shouldn't be sad. He attacked me. I was merely defending myself. But...it was Avis. The boy I found and helped. The boy who sang to birds and cared so much for life and love...The boy that had become my brother. What happened to that boy that made him attack me? Why did the world have to twist and corrupt such innocent souls? When he was in the Guild he even cried the first time he killed someone. I had to hold him all night till he had ceased his tears. My father reprimanded him for it. Telling him he'd never be a good assassin if he cried after every kill. That he needed to be uncaring. _My father was a fool._ Avis was perfect just the way he was. I almost wished I'd never found him or that I'd listened to Tayen by telling Avis to leave. He would never had this happen to him. Never had to trade his innocence for a dagger and a hood. Never had to kill. Had I done this? By doing what I did...did I lead Avis down this road?

"Lady Protector!" I didn't look...I couldn't tear my eyes away from the dagger in my hand. The blood drying on it now a darker shade of red. "Maker are you alright?" No. No I wasn't alright. I didn't know how to say it though. I didn't know how to tell him that I was hurting. I knew I shouldn't feel it. That I should shove it down deep inside myself and never let it surface. But it _hurt._ "My Lady?" Cullen asked as he moved down to me, now kneeling on the ground. "Whose blood is that? Is it yours?" He asked as he looked over me. I shook my head fearing what my voice would sound like. "We heard shouting by the gate and we found blood in the snow…" He asked as he moved in front of me. His hand moving to my hand holding the dagger before gently lowering it. "Were you attacked?" He asked me quietly and I nodded in response. "Quinn...talk to me." He pleaded quietly as he stared towards my eyes. I looked up at him, noting the urgency in his eyes. In that moment it felt like everything was bubbling to the surface. I tried to push it back down, to hide it away from him. From the world. My heart was squeezing so tight in my chest that it made it hard to breathe.

"It...he was a member of my guild. When I was an assassin…" I whispered as I leant my head against the post behind me. "He was just a boy." My voice came out in a whimper as I looked back to the dagger in my lap. "His name was Avis." I added as I shook my head and threw the knife away. "I killed him. He was just a boy and I killed him." My heart clenched as I shook my head. Maker why did it hurt so badly? It shouldn't hurt this much.

"You're not harmed, are you?" He asked as he looked me over, his hand moving to my chin to tilt it out of the way to look for damage.

"No. I'm not hurt." I choked out as I pulled my chin back down. "He had no chance. He was barely a B-rank assassin. He attacked me, but I didn't have to kill him and I did. He threatened these people. You. I-i couldn't let him live…" I whispered mostly to myself before I closed my eyes and tilted my head upwards.

"Who was he to you?" He asked me and it made my heart stutter.

"He was my brother." I whispered making Cullen still, his eyes widened as his hand hovered over my arm. Almost as if he wasn't sure if he should touch me or not. I dropped my head as I looked down at my hands that were covered in blood. Avis's blood.

"I'm sorry, Quinn." He apologized as his hand came to my arm. Usually it might feel comforting, but now it felt like he was pitying me. I looked up at him.

"I left him to the cruelty of my Father. Avis was a good kid. Kind and gentle and compassionate and I left without a second thought to him. I was so selfish...and just now... The boy I saw just now. The boy that screamed at me, the boy that tried to kill me… it wasn't the same boy I knew. Because of me." I choked on my words as I shook my head. "And now I've killed the monster I created." He shook his head as he moved closer.

"You didn't make him attack you. You didn't force his blade. He did that all on his own. We all have a choice in life. He made his." He responded as he looked down at me with compassionate eyes. "You cannot blame yourself for someone else's actions. It'll tear you apart." My eyes flicked to his making my heart stutter. His thumb moved over my cheek wiping a tear away.

"There shouldn't be any more attacks. They know they cannot beat me. None of them." I said as I looked towards my dagger. "I need to go speak to Leli." I said as I tried to think of procedure. I stood and placed my hand against the post to steady myself. My emotions were running too high. The Divine's and my Father's murder, the demon coming back for me, now this… I dropped my head as another tear slid down my cheek, but I shook it away.

"Maybe you should just take a moment…" Cullen asked as he stood as well.

"No. Procedure states that if there is ever an attack on any personnel that it is to be reported to Leliana immediately. All information that you could gather from the encounter should also be relayed." I said as I took steps forward. His hand moved to my arm.

"Quinn, procedure aside...I think you should take a moment." I shook my head.

"I've already taken a moment. I must report this." I responded as I pulled on a steely guise and jogged to Leliana's tent. Cullen jogged just behind me and I stopped at Leliana's tent before knocking on her post.

"Come in, Lady Protector." I nodded and pushed aside the tent flap.

"Leliana-"

"Are you alright, my friend? My scouts reported that they saw you and a hooded man squaring off. They said from what they heard it was a personal matter and they didn't interfere."

"I was attacked. It was a member of the Guild, Avis. He was a B-rank assassin." I said with a frown.

"And he attacked you!?" She asked incredulously. I nodded as I continued to keep my steely exterior intact.

"Yes. He was...angry. What I'm assuming is that he was tipped off about my location. The man that came after him...I have reason to suspect he is also part of the Guild, I remembered his voice vaguely and he had on similar as Avis. He said there would be no further attacks."

"They fear you?" Cullen asked, but I shook my head.

"Fear me? Assassin's do not fear their enemy, at least that is what my Father taught me and my brothers and sisters. But we respect them and understand when we cannot win a fight. It would take at least half of the Guild to take me down." I replied as I looked down at my hands again.

"Thank you for letting me know. I will have scouts stationed along the gates." She said as she looked down at her papers. "Are you alright, my friend?" She asked with a look of concern in her eyes. "I know that they were your brothers and sisters…" She added as she looked me over. I nodded as I looked away from her.

"I will survive. Thank you for your concern, Lady Nightingale." I said as I turned on my heels. "I am going to retire to my cabin for the night. I apologize for any inconvenience I may have caused." I added as I moved past Cullen.

"Commander, please escort the Lady Protector back to her cabin." I paused and looked back at the Commander and Leliana.

"He doesn't have to-"

"It's no trouble, Lady Protector." Cullen intervened, but I held my hand out to stop him as he moved forward.

"No. I wish to be alone." I told him sternly and moved out of the tent and quickly going to my cabin. I saw Oran and Jim. They both stood a little straighter as they saw me, but I hardly paid them any mind as I passed them and shut the door behind me. I moved to the fire place and stood in front of it staring into the fire.

" _Quinn! Quinn look at me!" Avis called and I turned my head from my practice. He smiled brightly as he held his throwing knives up and threw them towards the middle of the target with a whip of his arm. The first one hit where the heart would be, the second in the artery of the leg and one where the neck would be. I smiled and clapped for him as he looked back at me. His eyes squinted from the size of his smile._

" _Well done, Avis!" I praised as I looked at the target with a grin. It was still a little off, but it was a major improvement._

" _I've been working at it really hard." He said as he smiled up at me. I ruffled his hair with my hand making him giggle._

" _Do not praise him so easily, Quinn. Your last knife was off. Your last blade should always be aimed towards the chest to ensure death." My Father interrupted as he walked forward with his arms behind his back. "You should work harder, Avis, or you'll never be a good assassin." He stated eliciting a frown from me._

" _He's just a boy, Father. He's learning. He'll get it, I'm sure." I told my Father with a reassuring hand on Avis's shoulder. He scowled at me._

" _Not with you babying him, he won't." My Father shot back with an angry look in his eye towards me. He didn't like it when I stood up for Avis, but I wasn't about to let him yell at the poor boy. "No matter. Sparrow, I need to speak with you about your next mission. Meet me in my study in five minutes." He said before briskly walking away, giving Avis one last disapproving look. I shook my head as I looked down at Avis, his eyes watering a little. I dropped down to my knee and looked up at him._

" _Oh, Avis. Don't worry about what he says." I told him as he stared down at the ground rubbing his sleeve over his eyes profusely. "Hey, look at me." He did so and I felt a new hatred for my Father when I saw those puffy eyes and dripping nose._

" _I'm sorry, I'm not a good assassin." He murmured as he sniffled and rubbed his eyes. "I read in a book in the library that in the bottom of the neck there was a pressure point that would paralyze the person so… so they didn't feel pain…" He whimpered. I looked up at the target and felt my heart warm at the compassion of this young boy._

" _There's nothing wrong with that, Avis. You keep practicing that and don't listen to Father." I said with a bright smile. "You're doing so well." I added as I tapped his nose with the pad of my finger just as my mother used to do to me. His eyes widened and he threw himself forward at me giving me a hug. My eyes were wide, but I hugged him back anyway._

" _I love you, Sister." He proclaimed in my ear and I hugged him tighter._

" _I-I love you too, Avis." I whispered._

My heart clenched in my chest at the memory of the boy I used to know. The boy that I loved like a brother, the boy that I trained and protected. I leant against the mantle feeling more tears fall down my face as I bit my lip. The boy that I'd never see again. In my mind, I still imagined him sitting on top of the gate waiting for me whenever I came back from a mission. A toothy smile that squinted his eyes as he waved and welcomed me home. More tears fell from my eyes and I didn't even bother to wipe them away. I collapsed onto the ground one hand on my face and one on the ground as I continued to cry. _I love you, Brother._

* * *

Hey guys! Let me know what you thought of the Chapter! See you later, Loves! -BatCat


	19. Chapter 19

Oh, hey there guys! Thanks for all your support and views! You guys are the best! Enjoy Chapter 19, lovelies :)

I sat in silence. My heart felt like a lead weight in my chest. I felt so hollow inside and my head was spinning. I felt like I wanted to cry, scream and puke all at the same time. The pain of what I'd done, the pain of knowing that I'd taken Avis's life. The boy who had been my little brother… My head was leant against the wall with my eyes closed a throwing knife dancing between my fingers, practiced and precise. I'd rubbed away the tears that had escaped long ago and now my eyes felt dry and cloudy. He didn't deserve that life. Maker, I wish I could have done something different. Helped him somehow. I kept telling myself I had no choice but to kill him. To put an end to a threat to me and the people of Haven. If I hadn't he would have hurt people because of me. I let out an audible sigh. Or maybe I did it because he was a piece of my past that I didn't want exposed. _No._ I wouldn't do that. _I wouldn't._ I told myself adamantly, but a whisper of a thought told me that I could've done it for that. To keep myself, my identity, protected. My head was spinning around thoughts of my old family and on the man that took Avis's body away. He seemed familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I remembered all the members of the Guild that lived in my home, but him...I didn't. A frown came to my lips. Now to add to the problem, Cullen had seen. Damn him. Why was he always in the wrong place at the right time? Ugh. Placing my fingers to my temples I tried to ease my mind. It had been running in circles for hours around these problems and now I just felt numb. I knew I needed to focus on the mission that would be taking place today. I knew I needed to be at full attention for whatever was to come. If I let this distract me...well, I couldn't let it distract me, but honestly there was no helping it. With a shake of my head, I leant upwards. I couldn't sit here any longer in my sorrows. My body responded numbly as I stood and everything felt hazy. Rolling my shoulders I looked around my room, my eyes shifting to my bed, but I immediately shunned the thought. No doubt the nightmares that await me there. Looking away I thought of the mission as my eyes went to my daggers and with a nod I grabbed them and shoved them into their holsters on my hips and left the cabin. I looked to Oran and Jim as I left.

"I'm going out." I said, but they made moves to follow. I held up my hand and shook my head. "Alone." I muttered before I took off through the snowy streets of Haven. I trotted down the steps of Haven as I went to my training area and plucked my dagger from the snowy ground. I needed to be sharp. I needed to be ready. This was the only outlet I knew of. The only one conducive to my purpose anyway. Closing my eyes I took a heavy breath and began. My eyes were shut as I focused all my frustration, my anger, my sadness forward and leapt for my targets with precise hits. Each blade knicking the targets vital points. Vaulting and slicing I landed on the final post as both of my blades flew out to their respective targets embedding in the small red circle.

 _I assaulted the training dummy, my fists flying as my elbows blocked and my legs kicked. My whole body engaged in hand to wooden post combat. It got boring sometimes, but there was really no one to practice with. Not when my Father refused to let Tayen and I be alone in training anymore… not that we listened. But, he was on a mission today and I'd been left here. It made me furious. I punched the target too hard and the stand flew backwards and toppled onto the floor. I panted as I wiped the sweat from my forehead and moved towards it to set it back up when I heard someone from beside me._

" _Wooooowwww. You're amazing." Avis drew out in wonder as he watched me. I lifted an eyebrow as I looked between the dummy and him._

" _Thank...you? I don't believe anyone has ever called my lack of anger management 'amazing'." I replied with a smirk. He frowned and scratched his arm as if he were nervous. "But, there's nothing wrong with that… different is refreshing every once in awhile." I added noting the distress in his wide eyes brown eyes._

" _The other kids...they...they don't like me. They think I'm weird." He said as he looked up at me. "Because I love Red, because-because I don't want to kill anything…" He whimpered as little tears started to fall down his cheeks. I frowned as I looked to him and then looked towards the door. With a short nod I dropped my hand into his shoulder. He was older now, twelve years old. Still so young and innocent…_

" _Do not listen to them, Avis. You are...a kind and wonderful person. Caring for something or someone doesn't make you weird." I replied and he stared up at me with the shine back in his eyes. He was ignorant however of my Father's presence in the shadows. Watching and listening to my words._

" _Your Father...he said that people who care are weak." My eyes narrowed as my they darted to the shadows before returning to the boy._

" _Would you say that I am weak?" I asked eliciting a quite feverous shake of his head. "Well, I care about you and someone else very much. Believe me. It doesn't make you weak. It makes you stronger. It is only when you have someone or something to lose that you realize how precious life is." I told him making his eyes widen. His arms were around me in a split second._

Forgetting my daggers, I I punched the target hard as a particular sting spread through my knuckles. I ignored the pain as I continued to punch the sack taking delight in the exasperated puffs of dust fly from it.

" _You know, I think you eavesdrop on me more than you actually speak to me, Father." I called out as I turned to the shadows to see him standing there. He didn't look pleased._

" _What you told that boy, it is not the way of the Assassins." He replied as he stepped from the darkness, the light of the training room leaving heavy shadows around his eyes. I crossed my eyes as I looked towards where the boy had disappeared._

" _That boy is not an assassin. He's not like us." I replied with a frown in my Father's direction._

" _Then he has no use to me and will leave my home." He responded flippantly. "I do not need soft hearted boys who sings to birds." He added with a look of distaste._

" _He has nowhere else to go. You know he is an orphan." I pointed out, appalled that he would suggest this. "You cannot just throw him out on the streets!" I argued as I turned towards him._

" _This is my house. My rules. If you are of no use to me, then you are forced out." He replied with an impassive look. I shook my head, a snarl on my lips as I looked away from him. My Father is a cold hearted bastard, but even I didn't think that he would suggest just throwing Avis out._

" _Would you throw me out if you no longer had use to you?" I shot back with a strong glare in my eyes. He chuckled as he looked down at me. His hands behind his back, a condescending smile on his lips._

" _My daughter, you will always be of use to me. It's in your blood to be an assassin. You will always be an assassin, you can't help it." He said as he waved his hand around him. "This is your birthright, Sparrow, your family." He added with a firm grip on my shoulder. "Which means, unfortunately, that your infatuation with Tayen...must come to an end. If you are ever to reach your true potential." I jerked away from him._

" _It is not an infatuation, Father. You once loved something, I'm sure. I love Tayen." I said as I pulled my lips tight into a look of displeasure. "No matter how much you wish I didn't." I added as I turned from him._

" _I can rectify that, you know?"_

" _Nothing you can do or say will make me stop loving him." I hissed as I twisted back towards him. He masked his emotions better than anyone, but I knew he was angry. His nostrils were flaring ever so slightly and the cold look in his eyes was all too familiar. He walked past me, but paused giving me a stern look._

" _If you value your life and your rank, you will think about what I said. That boy can bring you nothing but pain and suffering." He growled and looked away from me with a defiant shake of my head._

" _Don't you have a meeting with Gideon?" I asked without looking at him hoping to give him the hint to leave as I stared at the wall. "Tell him I said hello." I dismissed as I instead walked away._

I panted lightly as I stared at the target, backing away slowly. I needed to keep burning off steam as I turned to my balancing post and swept hair out of my face. Gently, I placed my hands onto the post and lifted myself up, my feet parallel to my hands. I held it for several moments and slowly I lowered my body rolling through every muscle. Sweat rolled off my forehead onto my nose. I let out a breath through my nose before rolling a bit more, my back arching as my lead lifted and soon I was suspending my body in a plank style pose. I took several calming breaths as I controlled my body with perfection. I heard the snow crunch ahead of me. If I was correct no more than twenty meters away from me. My eyes flicked up towards the sound and I forced my body up and bent backwards so I landed on the next post. Ahead of me I saw the blonde back of a head and a big fluffy mane. I lifted an eyebrow as he attempted to creep away.

"Leaving so soon, Commander?" I asked and noticed him stiffen mid-step. He turned around sheepishly as he ran a hand over his neck.

"I did not wish to disturb you, My Lady." He answered as he turned to me fully. My eyes ran over him before shrugging.

"Did you need something?" I threw over my shoulder as I ripped the two daggers from their targets and shoved them into their holsters. He hesitated. My eyes shifted to him with a frown on my lips.

"Couldn't sleep." He responded quietly from the same spot he'd been standing in for the last couple of minutes. I let out a humorless laugh, flashing him a smile.

"Look at us. Opposites do attract." I replied. "I guess as long as they're both insomniacs." I added quietly. Shockingly enough he chuckled at that.

"I don't think we're so different." My eyebrow lifted at that a sliver of a sarcastic smirk on my lips.

"Oh, believe me, Chantry Boy. We're different." I replied as I swept my hair aside and swung up onto the bar and sat on it. "Our previous professions should be enough proof of that." I added thoughtfully as I kicked my feet.

"Perhaps," He started as he moved forward towards me. "But, I thought you didn't judge people based on the lives they used to live." He twisted my words around and it made me smirk.

"I'm not judging. I'm just observing that our lives led very different paths. I mean, if you think of it, it's a series of freak accidents and insane odds that we even met."

"Freak accidents and insane odds seem to be your specialty." He responded eliciting a snort of laughter through my nose. "Sounds a bit like luck."

"Are you saying that I'm lucky to have met you?" I asked with a lift of my eyebrow. He leant against the tall post and crossed his arms as he looked up at me.

"Not at all. I'd rather none of this happened, even if it meant not meeting you." I looked away from him nodding. If I could save the Divine, my Father, Avis...I would take that even if it meant not meeting him, or anyone here. "Not that I don't-I mean. It's-"

"You don't have to explain yourself." I interjected as I swung down onto a post. "Not to me." I added as I looked to him. "This world is...it's not what it was supposed to be." My hand ran through my hair as I pulled my dagger and for the first time I noticed the blade still had splashes of blood on it. There was a silence from Cullen, like he was hesitating to say what he wanted to.

"I'm sorry for what happened, Quinn." He announced making a chill roll down my spine.

"Avis...made his choice." I replied slowly as I gripped the dagger tighter in my palm. "His passing. It won't distract me…"His feet shuffled behind me. "..you have my word." I added as I threw the dagger into the red circle of the target once more without looking. I nearly jumped, however, when I felt his hand on my shoulder.

"It's alright to grieve." He said quietly making me frown.

"Not right now it isn't. Too much rides on our success. Too much accounts for my mind on the mission." He was silent as I turned towards him, but immediately I regretted it. The golden worry in his eyes reflecting the green of the cursed Breach and the moon above us. "I can't be distracted." I added a bit quieter.

"Did you sleep at all?" He asked and I paused at the seriousness in his tone.

"I've never been one to sleep before a big mission. Plus...well, let's just say I'm a restless sleeper." I added as I turned away from him.

"The nightmares?" He asked and I paused again. _What did Jim tell him?_ "I don't mean to pry, but Jim was fairly frantic this morning. Said you had been crying out in your sleep. That you'd often have nightmares, but never that bad." I tapped my fingers against my arm as I hugged myself the wind blowing by like ice against my skin. I frowned to myself as I dismissively waved a hand and faked a smile.

"Jim overreacted." His eyes never left me as I walked to the bar again and swung up doing a handstand and swinging again creating a lot of momentum.

"You're not a burden, you know that, right?" He asked as I swung up again and held it, my abs burning from the workout so far. "I've said it before and I'll say it again. Just talk to someone. Leliana, Varric...that bard from tonight. Just someone." He implored as I swung up again and brought my legs up and under so that I was crouching on the bar watching him.

"Not you, though? Don't want to know all my secrets anymore?" I asked with a smirk on my lips. He was staring up at me with a frown on his lips.

"I am at least intelligent enough to not ask for you to confide in me. I'd rather you confide in me on your own terms. Therefore, I'm not even going to suggest it." He stated as he folded his arms over his chest.

"And if I were to confide in you? What would you do?" I asked curiously. I didn't want to confide in anyone. "Would you try to fix me? Tell me I wasn't alone anymore?" I added in a mocking tone.

"I am in no position to fix anyone, nor do I believe there is anything about you that needs 'fixing'." He said and I lifted my eyebrow. _That was a damn good answer._

"Sweet Talker." I grinned at him as I kicked my feet out and placed my spine against the bar so that I was laying on it perfectly balanced as I brought my hands under my head like a pillow staring up at the Breach. "It's a beautiful night." I whispered as I stared up at the sky that wasn't inhabited by the Breach. I heard his feet shuffle towards me.

"Could you please come down from there?" He asked and I looked over at him in confusion.

"Why?" I asked and he frowned as he stepped forward as if he'd need to catch me.

"It worries me that you're that high off the ground. You could break your neck." My eyelids drooped in annoyance.

"This makes you nervous?" I asked and he nodded. "Well, that's only because you can't do it." I said with a grin before slipping my hands under me and elegantly swinging down next to him. He watched me, backing away slightly. "Don't be shy, Commander. You're going to try it." I told him before looking him up and down. You might want to take off that armor though. It'd be a bit difficult for you." He stared at me in utter confusion before shaking his head.

"I apologize, Lady Protector, but I don't think I can-"

"Chicken." I interrupted and his eyes widened slightly.

"What did you just-"

"Sorry, _Commander_ Chicken." His lips were a thin line and I had to bite back the laugh that threatened to spill from my lips. "My, my, the fearless Cullen Rutherford won't even swing on a bar." I tsked at him noticing that same competitive spark in his eyes coming back. I turned with a grin on my lips and waved my hand. "Maker, what will the troops think?" Behind me I heard clunking around and I turned to see Cullen removing his armor until he was only left in his black shirt and brown pants. I smirked to myself.

"Alright, show me how." He ordered and I shot him a quick two fingered salute as I leapt onto the bars and looked to him.

"Come on." I told him and he looked to the bars before leaping forward and missing. I giggled as he landed in the snow before trying again. This time he grabbed onto the bar and looked over at me.

"What now?"

"Now, you swing your legs. Like this." I said and swung my legs back and forth with wide strokes. Soon I did a complete revolution and then vaulted off to look at him. "Yeah, just keep kicking your legs until you feel you have enough momentum to throw yourself upwards. Keep your hands on the bars and you'll do a revolution." I said as I moved my pointer finger in a circle to illustrate what his body would be doing. He had a look of concentration on his face as he attempted at his first revolution, but came short. He swung back far, his eyes wide before his momentum brought him back forward and he swung around in a complete circle. I grinned as he swung gracelessly over the bar before returning with wide eyes. I grinned and clapped quietly for him. "Nicely done, Commander." I said and he swung his feet again and attempted at another revolution when look of pain cross his face and his left hand slipped off of the bar. My eyes widened, but I was too late to move. He was thrown into me, his eyes wide as he let out a startled cry and I hit the ground with him on top of me. My hair splayed out beneath us as I grunted in pain. "Ow," I groaned, flattened to the ground under him, "Get off of me, you big oaf." I grunted and he groaned as well as he pushed himself off slightly with his right hand.

"I-Forgive me, My Lady. My hand slipped..." He explained as he stared down at me looking over me for damage. "I didn't hurt you did I?" I shook my head as I watched him.

"No." I said as my eyes went to his left shoulder, my eyebrows knitting together. "I thought you said that it was completely healed up." I said as I pulled aside his shirt to see the edge of the wound. My eyes were locked onto the edge of the dark pink scar.

"It is." He replied quietly as my finger traced the edge of it. "The muscles are just a bit sore around it." I nodded as I looked up at him with a short smile on my lips. I noticed him staring down at me with his whiskey eyes. It made my heart thump loudly in my heart and my breathing hitch. I hid it well as I grinned up at him.

"You're trouble, Commander." I said as I stared back at him. I saw a glimmer of a smile as he moved off of me completely with a blush staining his cheeks.

"As are you, Lady Protector." He replied as he helped me sit up. I was so close to him that I could feel the heat rolling off of his skin. Maker he was intoxicating. His citrus and musk scent, his eyes, his warmth and kindness. Maker I felt like I was losing my mind. He drew me in without words or movement, just those eyes and this feeling... Hs eyebrows knit together as he stared down at me as his hand hovered unsurely at my arm. He had been moving into me as well, our bodies nearly flush against one another. I was staring up into his eyes looking back and forth. It was so slow, as if this one expanse of time was lasting forever. Suddenly though I saw a sadness cross his eyes and he closed them as he gripped my arm gently, backing away from me. I stared up at him in question suddenly feeling so foolish for it. "You're hurting. I can't-we can't…" He trailed off and I nodded awkwardly as I ran a hand through my hair. Maker I felt so stupid. I don't think I've ever been...turned down like this. Grieving or no… "Not that I-Maker I'm babbling." I giggled at that and stood.

"You don't have to say anything." I told him as I hugged my arms. "You're a good guy, Cullen." He smiled at that and stood with me. "Walk with me?" I suggested and he nodded. We moved back out to Haven and I felt a chill run down my spine from the cold wind. He noticed and steered us towards his tent. He turned towards me.

"One moment." With that he dissapeared into his tent and then came back out producing my clock in his hands. I smiled and let out a sigh.

"Oh thank the Maker." I said as I threw it around myself and flipped the hood up. "I was starting to lose feeling in my ears." He chuckled as we started walking again.

"Well we couldn't have that. Where would you be without your ears?" He asked making me grin.

"I know, right? My ears are adorable. I've always found them to be one of my best qualities." I side with a grin that we shared.

"Your hearing is impeccable. I still wonder how you heard that archer in the Storm Coast." He mused as we walked along the path to get back to that spot in the mountain. "Can all assassin's do that?" He asked curiously. I shrugged at that.

"I am not sure. As assassin's we are trained to not just rely on our eyes, but our hearing and smell and touch. My father would purposefully disorient me during training in order to tap into these other senses. However, I had a...bit of an edge." I said with a fond smile. "My best friend was blind. He came to live with us when his Father went overseas for business. Jarrett and I spent every day together, at the time we were only friends. Not very close at all, until one day he was being picked on by one of the older Assassin's. He wasn't good by any means, just older and he was picking in Jarrett for not being able to see. Saying that he'd die the moment he stepped into the field." I paused for a moment to take a breath.

"What happened?"

"I punched the guy in the face. A right hook that my Mother later praised. "Every girl of Ferelden blood should know how to throw a proper right hook."." I quoted in my Mother's deep Fereldan accent. "Jarrett was confused as to why I hit him though. He didn't see the sense in knocking sense into people who didn't have any sense to begin with. He found it a moot point." I said with a light laugh. "He was rather pitiful when it came to fighting though. He knew the basics, but his fighting was clunky. It wasn't for lack of skill either he just didn't have anyone to practice with. My Father's lessons we're getting more difficult for me as well so I proposed that Jarrett and I train each other." I recounted with a bright smile. "Anyway, he taught me how to use my senses like he had to and I taught him how to fight." I said with a smile as we walked towards the spot where we'd sat a while ago looking over the town.

"What happened to him?" He asked me and I frowned at that as I hugged my arms staring down at the small town beneath us.

"He was killed." I replied as my cloak fluttered past me in the brisk wind.

"Oh." He hesitated as he looked towards me. "Forgive me. I didn't mean to-" I turned towards him and smiled.

"Quit apologizing, Cullen. We assassin's have a saying. A last rite that we give each other when we die. 'Et obumbratio receperint vos'. Every assassin learns it and every assassin is given it upon death." I said as I turned back towards Havens torchlit streets.

"What does it mean?" He asked as he moved forward next to the rock with me.

"May the shadows welcome you." I said as I sky started to lighten from the rising sun. "I don't believe in it much anymore...but, I remember how important it was." I said as I sat on the rock and Cullen followed. "Sometimes, my line of work can feel so...alienating. So alone. The thought of having loved ones protecting you like the shadows do… it brought comfort when I was still part of the Guild."

"And now?"

"Now?" I asked as I looked over at him before letting out a humorless laugh. "Now every shadow is a reminder of the life I left behind. My heritage, my people… I learned long ago you can run from many things, but you can't run from your own shadow and that is a depressing thought." I replied and he frowned, his head bobbing with a nod.

"I can understand that." He replied as he looked down at his palms. "It is hard to completely remove yourself from the life you've only ever known." I turned my head towards him and saw him regarding his hands with great interest before his eyes moved up to the sky after a long blink. "I believe I understand that more than most." He said with a short smile with a tilt of his head.

"Why did you leave the Templars?" I asked and noticed him stiffen slightly. I decided not to press the matter anymore. If he was that uncomfortable, it must've been something bad.

"I...couldn't be a part of that life anymore. It is odd though. I've spent so long being a Templar...I feel like I don't know what I am anymore. Strict rules and no room for your own choices, just orders...now...nothing. Where does that leave me?" He asked as he stared up at the orange and pink sky.

"I don't know." I replied as I smiled over at him. "But, if all else fails at least you have that dashing Fereldan charm and a pretty face." I said eliciting a grin and a slight blush from him as I bumped him his shoulder with mine.

"Pretty face? I thought you were going to mention my shiny boots." He joked with a breathy laugh following it.

"Of course! How could I forget?" I laughed with him before sobering and staring at the sky.

"In all seriousness then, Cullen." I started out with a calm tone. "I may not get to see what you do or who you become. But, take this for what it's worth, I like the you that's sitting here with me right now. Not the Commander or an Ex-Templar, but the kind Ferelden man who took the time to show me something amazing." I said with a smile towards him. "A friend and ally, with very shiny boots." He smiled a bit wider at that, but I noticed a troubled look cross his eyes. _Did I say something wrong?_

"Don't talk like you're not coming back." He replied and I let out a sigh. _Oh._

"Apologies. I didn't mean to bring it up." I replied with a frown on my lips. "Forget I said anything. I rather like just sitting here without a care in the world." I said as I felt his hand brush mine. I paused and looked down at our hands next to one another's. A small smile on my lips as I kept my hand in the same spot, not daring to move yet.

"We used to have a spot near my old family home in Honnesleath. A barn that had long been abandoned sat on top of this hill. One day my brother and I decided to climb it and when we got to the top we saw the sun peaking out just over the trees. On our way down though my brother scraped his leg badly on a broken board. We ran home and told our mother he'd tripped on a rock. A few days later on our way to watch the sunrise we saw our Father fixing up the old barn. Lumber just outside of it. Turns out he knew that we'd lied to my mother and decided to fix up the barn so that it was a bit safer." He said with a bright smile.

"That's so sweet." I cooed as I smiled at him almost a little envious of the Father he had. I had so many bad memories of my Father that it usually erased the good. "I'm surprised he didn't scold you for being mischievous boys and playing in an abandoned barn." He chuckled and shook his head.

"My Father liked mischief. Always said it was good in the soul." He chuckled and looked towards me.

"What about your mother?" I asked making him smile even wider.

"My mother. She was amazing. Cook, clean and deal with us all. Sharp as a knife and witty. My Father called her the light of his life. Always talked about the moment he met her was when he first moved into Honnesleath at 15 and there was this woman who strawberry blonde hair and a temper to match it. Most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. So he walked up to her, smiled and told her so." He said and I grinned as I leant towards him.

"What'd she say?" I asked and he grinned.

"She told him to bugger off, called him a brute and walked away." I laughed at that.

"How romantic." I quipped as I laughed again.

"He said that was the moment he knew he loved her." He chuckled with me as I held my side.

"Maker's Breath, your mother sounds amazing." I laughed.

"They both were. I don't think I could've asked for better parents. We didn't have much, but I don't regret anything. I had a wonderful childhood." He said and I smiled at that as my laughter subsided. "I think they would've liked you." He said trailing off.

"What happened to them?" I asked as he frowned.

"They died in the Blight." He said and I felt a frown pull at my lips.

"I'm sorry to hear that." I replied slowly as my fingers brushed his. I was unsure whether or not I should. He was silent as he stared up at the sky. I stared at him and slid my hand into his before staring up at the sky as well. He looked down at our hands, his hand stiff for a moment before he looked back up at the sky. His hand curled around mine as he stared up at the sky. The sun was rising and I smiled as it bathed us in its light. I closed my eyes and drank in the sunlight as it warmed my skin and I felt my hood fall back as the wind blew past us.

"It never gets easy." He said almost absentmindedly. I felt a frown touch my lips as I gripped his hands a bit tighter.

"Never." I replied as I let out a sigh, keeping my eyes up at the sky. "That's not a bad thing though. It makes you treasure moments you have with the people you have left."

"How do you do it?" He said as he looked down at me. I closed my eyes before looking over at him.

"I usually hit, kill things or in most cases drink." I said with a smile and I noticed him slightly crack a smile. "I am not a very good example of what to do." I replied as I sighed and lifted our hands up to eye level. "I just know that it helps to know you're not alone." He smiled as he looked down at me. "...and you, Cullen, are never alone." His eyes connected with mine as the sun's rays illuminated the sides of our face.

"Quinn. About today, if-"

"Don't worry." I told him as I stared ahead at the pinkish and orange hues lighting up the sky and the town beneath us. "I'll be keeping watch from the shadows." I promised, interrupting him as his hand tightened around mine. His eyebrows knit together, his sad golden eyes on my green. He looked as if he wanted to say something to me. Comfort me in some way, but we didn't say anything more. I leant against his shoulder staring at the sun as it lifted above the mountain. He seemed unsure what to say, if anything. What he didn't know was that he'd already done so much.

* * *

The sun had risen in the sky and we were about to leave Haven. Soldiers were training and Cullen was back at the front of the recruits, his eyes switching between the reports in his hands and the troops before him. I finished getting the horse ready for travel, placing some items in the pack. My mind still on this morning, the sun in Cullen's hair, his hand in mine as we silently sat there cherishing the few moments of peace we had. I shook the thoughts from my head. I had to focus. Focus on the mission, focus on what was happening now. Maybe if I did, I'd get to see him again. I tightened the strap on the saddlebag and let out a breath.

"Hey, Quinn." Trevelyan called out to me and I turned to him to see him walking with Lisette who was using a crutch to move towards me. I looked to them both as I moved forward. "She wanted to talk to you before we left." He said as he nodded to her and shot me a brief smile. My eyes shifted from him to her as she hobbled towards me.

"How are you?" I asked noticing a small, hopeful smile on her lips.

"I'll live." She responded, her voice still sounding dry and cracked. I frowned as I shifted my feet awkwardly looking her over. "I just wanted to wish you luck today." She added.

"Thank you." I replied as I watched her shuffle her feet like she wanted to ask me something important.

"Have you...have you thought about what I asked? About training me?" She asked as she looked up at me. Her large elven eyes seemingly wide with anticipation and hope. I let out a quiet sigh before shaking my head.

"I'm sorry, Lisette, but I'm not going to train you." I told her, noticing her ears flatten out to the sides. I felt a frown touch my lips noticing the argument in her eyes, but she didn't say anything for a moment.

"Is it because you think I'll die?" She asked as she looked down at herself.

"Lisette-"

"I'm healing, Adan and Solas even said so." She stated adamantly.

"It isn't because I think you'll die." I told her as I crossed my arms over my chest. "I simply don't want to. So, stop asking me." She stared up at me like I had crushed her. I placed my hand on her shoulder. "There are so many other great things you can do with your life. I'm sorry, truly I am, but there's nothing I can do for you." I told her with a frown on my lips. She frowned and looked away.

"How can I convince you otherwise? I have to."

"I've made up my mind." I told her just as adamantly. "I'm sorry, but I am not going to train you." She looked like she had been socked in the stomach. She let out a series of coughs and I jerked to help her in some way, but she held her hand up.

"I'm alright." She said as she looked up at me. "I'm _fine._ " I frowned and nodded as I backed away. She looked upset. Like this was the last thing she wanted in life and I'd taken it away from her.

"I'm sorry, Lisette, but this is really for your own good. I hope you understand that." I told her noticing the slight smile that touched her lips.

"I knew you cared." She replied almost triumphantly. I tilted my head to her, my lips tipping slightly as I let out a laugh of exasperation. "Is that why you won't train me? You're scared I'll get hurt?"

"Scout Lisette." I heard Cullen call out as he walked up. His eyes shifting between the two of them. Lisette looked over to him and turned her body to the side to regard him before lifting a salute to her forehead.

"Commander! What can I do for you?" She asked and he shifted his intelligent eyes to me before looking back to Lisette.

"Rylen mentioned to me that you wished to cover some of the reports. If you feel up to it, I have some requisitions that are in need of being taken care of and ordered." He replied as he pulled his hands behind his back. "Rylen should have them with him now and Threnn needs them when you're all finished. If you need assistance, just ask." He ordered. She nodded standing a bit straighter on her crutch. I kept an impassive look on my visage as she turned back to me and suddenly she was hugging me. She was surprisingly quick for being on a crutch. My eyes widened as I jolted from her hug, my hood falling off. My eyebrows knit together as she let me go and backed away.

"Be safe, My Lady, and good luck." She turned and hobbled away as I stood there still frozen in confusion.

"Maker, I think that girl is wonky in the head." I said as I watched her move to Rylen. Cullen turned as well to regard her. "I don't know why she is so hell bent on getting me to train her." I groaned.

"Perhaps she admires you." He replied thoughtfully.

"Ugh." I scoffed as I folded my arms over my chest. He looked over at me with a lifted brow. "What?"

"I had to check. I thought you were Cassandra for a moment." He mused. I punched him in the arm lightly making him chuckle.

"That is not funny." I groaned making him smirk before he looked back to me. "Thank you for distracting her." He shrugged as he loo hiked down at me and then towards her.

"Not a problem." He replied as Lisette walked over to a table nearby and started to work on the papers. "Oh. I found this in the snow." He said as he opened his palm and the bracelet sat. I tapped my wrist in shock not even realizing that it had been missing. My eyes darted from my wrist to the bracelet.

"Andraste's Tits, I didn't even realize that it was missing." I gasped as I touched it in his palm. He blushed slightly as I was about to pluck it out of his hands, but stopped. He gave me a strange look as my eyes flicked to his. "Keep it, just for now though." I told him with a small smile. "I'll take it back when I return." I said and noticed his confusion dissolve into a smile. He curled his hand back around the bracelet and nodded.

"I'll keep it safe." He promised with a short smile to me. To my right I saw Cassandra and Bull moving towards the stables. Bull with his eyes on me as he flicked them between Cullen as if he knew something I didn't. The look he gave me, however, the smug and knowing look bothered me to no end.

"Hey, Boss." He greeted as he brushed past me. "Morning, Cullen." He said as Cullen and I tipped our heads towards him. "Ready to go?" He asked as he looked in between us. I took a deep breath and nodded.

"Ready as I'll ever be." I told him as I gave Cullen one last smile before walking with Bull towards the horses. Dorian was already there, his eyes on me as I walked forward. We nodded to each other and I noted the tension in him. I wanted to say something to him, but I felt my arm tapped. I turned to Leli who stood with a small smile and small cloth bag in her hand.

"Did you pack me lunch, mom?" I asked with a smirk. Her laugh lilted around me.

"Breakfast, I was informed that you had been otherwise occupied this morning and may have missed a chance to get some food." I blushed lightly, but rolled my eyes and shifted my weight.

"Is there an apple in that bag?" I asked and she nodded as she handed it over. I opened it and looked down inside grinning. "You're the best." I replied. She smiled, but I noticed the worry in her eyes as she placed a hand on my bicep.

"Be safe, my friend. Please, do not do anything too reckless." I smiled and squeezed her that was clutching my bicep.

"Reckless? Pfft. I'm not reckless." I teased. Thousands of instances, however, ran through my mind at the moment I said it. All of instances when I have been reckless beyond belief. I shook my head and gave her a small smile trying to ease the tension. "Don't look so worried. It'll be alright." I added with a short nod as I placed the breakfast into my saddlebag and swung gracefully onto the horse. Soon our entire convoy was ready to leave and we trotted forward through Haven to the far gate. I looked over to my right to see Leli and Varric standing next to each other. Both nodding to me with a small wave. To my left Cullen looked to each of us as we passed as soldiers saluted. When my horse trotted next to the Commander I shot him a quick two fingered salute with a short smile. His lips quirked up slightly as his eyes shifted away from me bashfully. I looked to the remainder of my companions, the ones that were staying here. Blackwall, Sera, Solas, Varric even Madame de Fer to which I hadn't gotten to know yet. So many different types of people unified by one cause. To save the world. I narrowed my eyes at the road before us. They were my reminder, as we're all the faces we'd passed. There was no room for mistakes. We couldn't fail.

* * *

The Fade exploded around me. My marked hand felt like it was being ripped to shreds for what seemed like forever. The green wisps of air around me seems to clawed into my skin. Hold onto me and try to drag me under, but I resisted. Maker what is happening?! What is this?! I heard the distorted crackle of demons as eyes appeared all around me. Whispering to me, calling me. Chanting my name calling me 'Fade Walker'. I shook my head as I tore away from the wisps looking for an escape. Anything to get me out of here. Suddenly, my palm lit up once again and I was thrown through the Fade once more. I hit the ground hard. Rocks and dirt spraying around me as I rolled down a steep hill. I gasped and cried out as I attempted to claw my fingers into the ground to stop the fall, but nothing worked. I grunted in pain as I hit something hard and bounced off, my head reeling as I fought against gravity. I cried out again as I hit the ground, my head cracking against a group of rocks. My vision turned blurry as I rolled onto my back. Everything hurt and burned. My body aching, yet numb. My head was pounding just behind my eyes and on the back of my head. I could feel blood dribbling down my temple as my fingers gripped at the ground. Pain electrocuting my nerves as I fought to get a sense of where I was. My eyes hazily raked the landscape for a clue. For something that could help me understand what happened. My mind fought for a shred of a memory, but none came. I ground my teeth together as I pulled myself along the ground. Letting grunts of pain out periodically. My eyes scanned the world around me trying to understand what I was seeing. The charred earth, the smell of smoke and the coopery scent of blood in the air. _What in Andraste's name happened?_ Suddenly I heard movement and I stopped. The sound of feet and something sliding against the ground behind it made my blood chill in my veins. I made sure not to move a muscle as the thing walked by. It sounded much too tall to be a person as it's stride was too long. I watched as it moved past me, nearly walking right on top of me. My eyes drifted to it and I saw a night crawler demon stride past with its tail dragging behind it. My eyes were wide as it suddenly stopped and lifted its disgusting head to the sky. As if it were trying to hear or smell. Nothing compared to the fright in me when it turned its head back to me. Its malicious smile with gnarled teeth coated in blood. My hands went to my waist for a dagger as the creature dove towards me. I blocked it's attack with my daggers. Holding its clawed hand centimeters away from my face. I rolled onto my back and used the demons weight and force and directed it so it would fly over me. Its claw scraped by my cheek though as it went past me and I gasped in pain. I pulled myself up, both of my weapons at the ready. My body ached, but I wouldn't die to this thing. Not without a fight. I ground my teeth together waiting for the attack when suddenly the demon lifted its head up to the sky. It's mouth gaping open as it let out a terrifying screech. I covered my ears as the sound of it nearly shattered my ears. When I peeked, my eyes open I saw more of those same demons. Their black and green eyes full of excitement as they moved towards me. When suddenly they attacked. I threw my body into battle. Slicing and tearing apart the demons that dared to make me their dinner. I leapt onto one dragging my dagger down and carving a line through its chest before driving my other blade through its head for good measure. It fell to the ground in a lump of ichor and bones as more attacked. Soon they all laid dead around me. My body coated in their blood, my legs barely holding me up. I had to push on through the pain. I couldn't just stay here. I needed to get back to the Inquisition. My legs carried me a few steps before I fell against a tree. Its wood was charred, and it rubbed off on my skin and clothing. I collapsed against it completely and fell to the ground. I cried out in pain as I held my arm which had been damaged in the fall and had been cut in battle. My eyes wandered slowly around me and saw embers where the grass once was. Trees still smoking from a fire of sorts. To the side of me I heard feet, slow and quiet as if they didn't want to scare me. A woman's voice calling to me gently. I didn't look over, I didn't have the energy left in me and as I lost consciousness my eyes trained on a certain item practically glowing against the gray skies behind it. A tattered flag bearing the Inquisitions symbol with blood smeared across it.

Thanks for reading, everyone! Y'all are the best! If you want to, leave a comment and let me know what you thought!


	20. Chapter 20

_Hey guyysss, Chapter 20 is finally up! (so sorry it took so long)! However, since it did take so freaking long to post I made it extra long! :p (sorry again)_

* * *

 _I wandered through the darkness, stumbling against my surroundings as I held my arm in pain._

" _Hello?" I called out, but it echoed around me, like I were in a box. I continued to trudge forward, but it seemed useless. "Hello?" I called out again suddenly hearing movement in front of me. I stopped moving as the movement stopped. It had come from straight in front of me, maybe ten feet. Everything sounded so distorted in my ears, but I could hear the shuffling of feet as if the creature making the noise were turning towards me. My heart started to beat faster and faster in my chest. I reached for my dagger, but stopped when I heard a voice._

" _ **Well, well. What do we have here?"**_ _That voice. I knew that voice. I gripped my daggers in my palma, but kept them in their holsters. "_ _ **You've strayed far from your nest, little Sparrow."**_ _I backed away as I heard the feet advancing on me. "_ _ **Oh, dear how rude of me. Let me get the lights for you dear."**_ _Suddenly two rows of torches lit at the end of the dark hallway. Each lighting on after the other like a waterfall effect. My eyes stayed wide as I found the demon standing a few feet from me. Tayens eyes and his smirk facing me as the torches illuminated us both. My eyes turned to slits as I slid my daggers out._

" _You." I seethed as I got into a defensive position. He sighed, his shoulders sagging slightly._

" _ **Must we fight every time we meet?"**_

" _You killed my Father! Attacked the people of Haven! You expect me to be cordial?" I snarled. He shrugged._

" _ **Why not? Really, I don't understand your negativity. Your Father abused you and you barely know the people of Haven. I bet you didn't know the names of any of those soldiers that I killed to get here."**_ _He was right. I didn't know their names and my Father… "_ _ **Human emotions are so strange. So attached to the people who can hurt you the most."**_ _He replied with a roll of his eyes._

" _He was blood." I growled. "The last bit of family that I had left and you stole that from me!" He tsked his tongue at me._

" _ **Blood means nothing. Blood can be spilt. Let's look at it this way. If your Father had been the one to kill your love, would you still feel the same way about him? Would you still feel this allegiance to him?"**_ _He asked with a playful look in his eyes. I thought it over for a moment._

" _What are you-" I paused as I looked back at him. "No-It doesn't matter."_

" _ **Oh, doesn't it? What if I told you that it was your Father who killed Tayen?"**_ _He asked me making my heart beat faster in my chest. I frowned as I backed away from him as he advanced. "_ _ **That he knew I was there at the Magisters mansion all those six years ago."**_ _I shook my head horrified as my heart sunk in my chest. This couldn't be true._

" _No...no!You're lying." I replied, my voice shaking._

" _ **Unfortunately for you, I'm not."**_ _He replied as he moved forward standing close to me. He smelt of death and smoke, the scent permeating the air making my lungs constrict. "_ _ **The man you called Father, that you saved from me. Was the same man who sent your love to me, who saw the opportunity to destroy your happiness and took it!"**_

" _No! He...he wouldn't!" I defended but, in my mind I always knew he hated Tayen. He hated that he distracted me. That I had love when his was taken from him._

" _ **Stop lying to yourself, child. You know in that intelligent little mind of yours that he couldn't stand Tayen. That he wanted you to be just as alone as he was**_ _!" I clamped my hands over my ears._

" _Stop it!" I yelled as I tried to block out his voice._

" _ **And poor Tayen. He wanted to save you from dear old Dad so badly. He was practically leaping at the opportunity to kill him."**_ _My eyes were wide as I felt tears in them. The demon smiled at me through Tayens image."_ _ **Yes, poor lad. Said he'd agree to it, but only if I got you away from your Father. If I punished him for all he had done to you. He knew you both would never be able to be happy unless he was dead. Our goals lined up fairly well."**_ _He stated with a smirk on his lips as his finger swept aside a strand of hair from my face. "_ _ **I still feel it sometimes. The echo of love that he had for you. Do you still feel it for him? Or have you moved on to better, living, prospects?"**_ _He asked as I withdrew from him._

" _Shut up." I hissed. "I don't want to hear anymore of this!" I growled as I tried to ignore him. He was lying. He had to be! My Father was cruel in many ways but…but he wouldn't kill Tayen. He wouldn't do that to Tayen-He wouldn't do that to me! I turned to walked away, but he was in front of me suddenly._

" _ **Don't tell me it's that tortured blonde Templar. Really, darling, if you're going to go for the most vanilla option you're going to make this very boring for those who are spectating."**_ _He replied with a roll of his eyes._

" _Then fuck off." I growled._

" _ **Such naughty language. Do you kiss your mother with that mouth-oh, wait."**_ _I snarled at him as he walked with me. I balled my fist up feeling my anger rise. "_ _ **Oh, don't take it too personally, love, I was only joking about the vanilla. Actually I know some very interesting things about the blonde wonder."**_ _He added with a grin. I pushed away from him trying to just put space between us. My hand though, was on my dagger ready to strike. I want to kill him so badly I can't stand it, but I couldn't touch him here._ _ **"For instance, did you know he was tortured by a blood mage?"**_ _He asked as he tapped his lips. "_ _ **For, I want to say, a whole day or two. Demons ripping apart his friends, but he endured. Really I have to hand it to him, that's fairly impressive."**_ _I shook my head. "_ _ **I mean the last person I tortured...why they only lasted an hour."**_

" _Stop it, demon!" I yelled. He paid me no heed as he continued._

" _ **Wonder how badly it would mess with him were I to reenact that whole traumatic episode of his pathetic life. Maybe he'd even**_ _-" I threw a punch at his face and he stumbled backwards. My glowing palm feeling bruised at my side. I frowned as I shook it slightly. He touched his nose as it bled slightly with black blood. He looked in between me and his now bloodied fingers. "_ _ **Well, that's interesting."**_ _He murmured before glaring up at me._

" _You stay away from him." I snarled. "I swear if you hurt him or anyone else in Haven I'll-"_

" _ **You shouldn't be worrying about what I'm going to do." He commented as he looked me over with a shrug. "My master is in the genocidal mood now that the Herald is dead. What with the Mages and Templars under his control I don't think there's a place in Fereldan that's safe."**_

" _Wait, the Herald… he's… he's dead?" I asked halting the demons words. "Wait...then am I..?" I couldn't finish it._

" _ **You're not dead. I don't know how you survived or got out of the castle, but you are in fact alive. The Herald however, was not so lucky. Magister Alexius turned him to ashes along with the Tevinter Mage accompanying you both."**_ _My heart dropped into my stomach and I felt sick. My legs felt wobbly as my head spun. I stumbled and fell against the black wall as I tried to regulate my breathing._ _ **No, no, no. This can't be happening.**_ _"_ _ **Oh yes, it is happening, Quinn. Soon, the world will be swallowed by darkness and chaos. My brothers and sisters will roam your earth and destroy life as you know it. Your Inquisition will die along with all hope left in the world. He has already taken over Denerim and the Inquisition is next. They stand no chance-"**_ _This can't be real! I threw my fist at his face again._

" _Stop lying to me!" I ordered, but he chuckled as he dodged my blow and grabbed my wrist. I pulled against him, but he was too strong._

" _ **You know that I am not lying. What would I game from such a ruse?"**_ _He paused for a moment._ _ **"Deep down you know. Don't you, Quinn?"**_ _I didn't want to believe it, but he was right. I could feel mark, it felt...different. painful even. Like it was mourning the loss of its other half. He smirked at me realizing that I knew. My anger and pain from news of the Herald driving a blade through my heart. Now everyone was doomed. The world was doomed because I survived instead of the Herald! This was all my fault. He side-stepped my punch with ease and snapped his fingers and the flames from the torches swarmed us and when the flames cleared I was surrounded by debris. Skeletal remains of trees, charred and broken. Some fallen and some barely standing. The smell of blood and smoke in the air so thick I gagged. The demon before me breathed it in as if he were smelling roses and smiled. "_ _ **This, my dear, is what the world will be. The Elder One comes for all and soon…**_ _" He paused as he spread his arms wide. I looked around seeing bodies some piled on top of each other others splayed out. Their blood painting the snow beneath them red. My hand was against my lips in horror as I stood in the center of the remnants of a battle. I shook my head as he grinned at me. "_ _ **This world will be ours for the taking."**_ _He added as his grin turned malicious. I backed away from him trying to get away, but I tripped and fell onto the red dyed snow and then tumbled through._

I gasped awake. My eyes wide and alert, but I cringed as my hand went to my waist. Pain blossomed all over my body. My hands gingerly grazed over the parts of my skin that hurt the most feeling them wrapped with some sort of sticky salve underneath. I touched the salve lightly and lifted any finger to my nose to taking in the sweet smell of elfroot and Dawn lotus. I pushed myself up slightly to see the majority of my body bandaged and my marked hand. I lifted my bandaged had feeling the mark vibrate and hum with life. I remembered the pain that it caused, the feeling of the mark tearing me apart. I cringed at the thought and balled up my fist. What the hell happened? Where was I!? The demons words were stuck in my mind. That I was alive...but, the Herald. Panic set in as I looked around me. It was small shack, maybe only big enough for one person. There were ingredients everywhere held in tiny vials and hung around the beams of the roof. A healers shack? It didn't matter, I had to get out of here. I tossed the covers off of me and pushed myself up off the bed. I grunted as I stilled, pain erupting through my body. I shook my head as I pushed on, ignoring the pain when suddenly I heard the shack door open. My hand went to my hip, but I found my weapons gone. I locked onto the woman in the doorway who didn't look the least bit startled at my consciousness.

"Where am I? Who are you?" I asked abruptly as she closed the door behind her. She shuffled in quietly before sitting the basket down next to me. I watched her closely as she pulled away a cloth to reveal fruits. I looked from her to the fruits and then back at her warily. She looked familiar, like a face you've seen in a crowd as you pass by. She looked completely ordinary. Her hair gray and disheveled, her wrinkled face kind, but stern. _Who was she?_ I looked to the drink next to me, sniffing it for poison.

"If I was going to go through the trouble of killing you, dear child, I would've just left you on the mountainside." She said making me pause. _She has a point._ She took a piece of fruit and bit into it. I followed suit and took a bite of my apple. "You are in my home. I found you on the side of the mountain after those demons attacked you. A brave warrior such as yourself didn't deserve to die like that." She explained with an intelligent gleam in her eyes. "As for my name, it is not important right now." She answered. I frowned as I looked down at myself.

"I need to go. I need to help my friends. The Herald -" I said as I pushed myself up, but my body lit on fire with pain. I gasped and completely stopped my movements.

"You are in no condition to move." She advised which made me frown as I kept myself completely still. "If you run out there, damaged as you are, you risk getting yourself killed. I won't be able to help you again after this." She added as she stood and walked towards her table splaying out ingredients and plucking some from the rafters. My mind reeled as I tried to remember what had happened, but my memory was fragmented. The flag, however, that was stuck in my mind making it hard to concentrate on anything else. The last moments I remembered were seeing the Herald standing before Alexius and then pain.

"Where was I? When you found me?" I asked, my throat constricting with anxiety.

"You are in Ferelden, dear. Where I found you was just outside of an Inquisition camp." She explained making my heart beat louder.

"I remember everything looked like there had been a fire. And the demons, they were just roaming around. They wouldn't be so close to an Inquisition camp…" I trailed off as my mind focused on the blood smeared across the flag.

"I recognize that mark, you know? I have heard stories about the Herald of Andraste. But, you are not him." She said as she looked back towards me. "I sensed a different magic in you. The Fade pulls at you more, is more in touch." She explained. "That's why the demons were around you. It calls to them."

"The Herald." I interjected. My mind slamming to an abrupt halt. Maker, don't tell me. "Do you know anything about him?" I asked and she stopped mashing up the ingredients. "He can't be dead. The-I...I would know."

"You mean that you don't know?" She asked as she stared at me. My eyes were wide as I stared back, my heart in my throat as I clutched the apple tightly in my palm. Her brows knitted together causing more wrinkles to appear as she looked back to her ingredients. "It would be wise for you to stay as long as possible. The days are about to get darker, child. The Herald of Andraste has been killed." My eyes widened as my heart jarred in my chest. Ice gripping at my chest as my stomach flipped. Maker...it was true.

"No." I whispered in utter shock ass the apple dropped from my palm. Her eyes flicked to me. "I failed." I gasped as my marked hand shook next to me, intensely bright green even through the thick bandages. "I need to get back to the Inquisition." I decided, but I still couldn't move. "I have to help them."

"Lady Protector, you need to rest. You will be no good to your friends half dead." She urged gently as she placed her hand on my arm. Her eyes continually flicking to my shining green palm with a distracted look.

"I cannot just stay here while the Elder One seeks to destroy them! He may already be there. Maker they could already be-"

"What would it matter?" She asked making my train of thought derail completely.

"What did you just say?" I questioned as I stared up at her.

"I asked 'what would it matter'?" She answered with a frown before turning to me. "Your goal was never to help the Inquisition. It was to protect the Herald who is now dead." She stated with a lift of her eyebrow. "If you go there, you will die. You do not owe those people anything. You are too special-"

"NO! It is because of me that they are going to die!" I growled and stood, but wobbled as pain erupted through me and I collapsed. I gasped as I grabbed my side.

"Really, girl? Use that brain of your for one moment. You are wounded and the Elder One has an army. You are going to step in between him and his prize?" She asked me as she turned towards me looking rather annoyed. "You're a fool." I growled and pushed myself up to my feet trying to ignore the pain coursing through my body.

"And you're a healer." I panted as I leant against the wall. "So heal me or get out of my way." I growled as she stood in between me and the door out of here. With a roll of her eyes she grabbed a bottle from her table.

"I will say it again, you go there and you will die."

"I. Don't. Care." I hissed as I shoved off of the wall. I was now standing in front of her bent slightly and limping. My hand on my waist I shuffled forward towards the door.

"You stubborn girl." She huffed behind me, but I didn't stop. I grabbed the handle and opened the door only to walk into a barrier. I pressed my hand against it in confusion. I could barely see through it, the swirling purple energy obstructing any view of the outside world. I turned my head to her, anger spiking in me.

"Drop this barrier. You cannot keep me trapped here." I growled and she shook her head.

"It is not to keep you trapped here, my dear. It is to keep everything else out and you protected." She explained with that same annoyed look on her face. "But, if you refuse then there is little I can do." My glare started to ease.

"Why do you wish to protect me? What do you gain from my survival?" I asked with suspicion. She turned back to her table pulling different ingredients from the wall and small jars.

"Are you always so suspicious of everyone?"

"Yes. Actually I am." I retorted. "Especially when they use barriers to keep me locked in a cabin."

"For the last time, it is to keep other things out. You do not know the world now, child. It is not safe. The demons that attacked you...they walk this world freely now. Rifts have appeared all over stretching the veil between the Fade and this world till it is barely paper thin. Here, my magic can keep you safe. Here I can teach you what you are, dear." She said causing me to pause. _What I am?_ Her eyebrows pinched together. "I know you do not trust me for now, but I know much about you. I have been watching you for years now. The miracle child." She explained as she moved towards me with a hand outstretched to my arm, but I jerked away from her.

"What are you talking about?" I asked with wide eyes.

"In due time I will explain everything. I have great power, child, and you are very, very special. So I will give you an option." She stood before me with a confident look. "You can stay here and I'll tell you and teach you all about what you are. About the power you possess, about the demon that is after you…" She paused before waving her hand nonchalantly. "...Or you can run back to your Inquisition and maybe delay the inevitable." She said as she watched me. "You aren't a hero, Quinn. You can finally know why you never fit in as a child. Why you've always felt a call to the Fade." She coaxed. I stared at her, my mind screaming at me to stay here with her. To figure out what she knew. I needed to know, but... I let go of the door handle to look at her.

"No, you're right. I'm not a hero." I said noticing a small smile come to her lips. "But, this...isn't about being a hero or not, this isn't about me. This is about good people who will die if I don't help." I stared at her with a frown. "They have no hope."

"And what hope will you provide? The Herald is dead and you cannot close rifts. You will only die, Child. Where is the hope in that?" She asked as she reached for me again. I pulled away from her, who was this woman?

"How do you know so much about me?" I asked her and she stopped to frown. Her eyes on me with a strange look before smiling.

"I already told you. I have been watching you for a long time." She replied.

"Why do I know you?" I asked with a frown on my lips. Her smile never dropped.

"You know me child because I have protected you through the years. You know who I am." She said and for a moment I knew a name. It stood out as plain as she stood before me.

"Flemeth." I whispered, my heart suddenly ramming in my chest. _The Witch of the Wilds..._ Strangely enough, it was fear that I felt being in her presence, but shock and confusion.

"That's right you know me." She said with a grin. "But, you're not afraid." She added. I shook my head to answer her.

"You've had ample opportunities to do me harm." I responded making her smile.

"What a smart girl you are." She praised.

"What I don't know is why the witch of the wilds is interested in me."

"Powerful women draw my attention, just as the Champion and the Warden Queen did before you." She explained as she smirked at me. "I have seen what is to come for you, child, and let's just say I'm invested in your future." I frowned at her words before looking away.

"I'm no one special." I replied.

"Funny, the Warden and Champion thought the same thing. They we're just as lost as you. If you stay I can share my knowledge with you." She coaxed, and I was tempted. My mind pushing me to say yes. That I would stay and learn from her. Something in me yearned for it. I was about to take a step forward when I thought of Varric and Leli still at Haven. They needed to be warned. They'd...they'd die. I couldn't just abandon them now. I stopped myself to look at her again.

"I can't. I want to, but...my friends. I can't...I can't abandon them now. Not when I know I can save some of them." I told her sternly to which she nodded and grabbed the vial off of her table.

"Fine. Do not say I didn't warn you." She told me as she flicked her wrist and the trunk opened. Inside were my things. "Can't let you go on a suicide mission without your weapons. I fixed your clothing to my best ability as well." She said as she handed me vial. "This should help your wounds." I uncorked it and sniffed the purple liquid recognizing the elf root and something else, but also the tingle of magic. I gulped it down. The potion was warm and soothing as it spread through my limbs and the pain receded almost completely. I stood up straight and let out a breath of relief.

"Thank you." I sighed and she nodded as she turned from me. I went to the chest and quickly pulled on my gear and weapons. I turned towards her, my muscles still feeling so stiff. Flemeth waved her hand and nodded to me.

"Once you step out of this cabin there is no coming back. This is final." She warned and I nodded as I walked towards the door.

"I understand." I replied as I grabbed the door handle.

"There is something else you should know." She said halting my movements. "You do this and you will suffer and die. That is your fate. Stay here and you'll live, simple as that." I thought on her words for a moment. I didn't fear death, but I couldn't live with the knowledge that I'd sat by and did nothing.

"I'd rather die saving as many people as I can than live knowing I could've made a difference and didn't." I replied shortly and for a moment I noticed a glimmer of a smile on her lips before it went away.

"You ate a fool then, but have it your way. The barrier is down." She announced and I nodded as I pulled on the handle,

"Thank you." I responded without looking at her and opened the door.

Once I stepped out I felt bitter cold blow past my skin. Icy wind biting into my skin making me clutch my cloak closer to me. My breath fogged around me as I turned trying to figure out where I was. When I looked back the cabin was gone, like it had never existed in the first place. With a shake of my head, I ran to the edge of the hill I was on and saw the little town beneath me. My heart nearly stopped when I noticed the front gates of Haven destroyed. Torches and figures swarming the walls, climbing any remainders of the wooden structures to breach the small town. My eyes were wide, but that wasn't the most shocking thing. Everything was covered in this eerie green glow. I peered up at the sky and felt my stomach clench as the Breach stared back at me. Ugly and gaping and larger. Alive. Its energy sparking and bleeding into the dark skies around it. Earth floated in the center of it, looking as if a mountain had been torn apart and suspended in the sky. I could hear the crackling of the Fade, the slight pull of my palm to it. Energy calling to like energy. Screams pulled my attention from the sky and my eyes snapped back down to the town. Men, women and children crying out pleas of mercy and help. I was moving before I even realized it. I skidded down the hill and sprinted through the broken gates. I looked around hiding in the shadows with my weapons drawn as I saw creatures red and horrid clawing at the walls and climbing them. All around me the snow was stained black and red from the battle that had occured. I had to go in with them. I scanned the area and quickly slid over the wall avoiding any of the figures that were climbing near me. I needed to find my companions and as many people as we could possibly get out of here. My eyes went to the trebuchet next to me and then to a crate full of explosives. I lifted an eyebrow and grabbed a couple of hand bombs and stuffed them into my pockets. With my daggers at the ready I ran towards the screams looking to help any I could. I ran past the trading post which had been trashed, blood and bodies littering the ground as a creature twisted towards me. It's red crsytaline skin glistening in the green light of the Breach. I gasped and ducked from the blow he attempted to deliver and drove my dagger through his neck, but it glanced off. The creature let out a shrill screech as it slashed its broadsword at me forcing me to back away. Blocking the next attack, I tried again, but it was hardly damaging it. It shrieked again and grabbed my by my cloak and slung me against the rocks. I grunted in pain, my eyes wide as I coughed. I looked up at it and growled as I charged and leapt onto it driving my blades into its chest.

The crystalline creature cried out a dying screech as it tumbled to the ground with me on it and I let out a sigh of relief, but was quickly interrupted when another crystalline monster charge me. I tried to take my blades out of the body of the one I'd just killed, but they wouldn't come out. My eyes widened, dodging the blow of the creature charging me. The blade cutting clean through the arm of the dead creature. The monster reared back and was about to strike at me again, but I rolled to the side swiping the dead monster's broadsword and drove it through the gut of the creature watching as it cut through cleanly. It's eyes bulged as it gurgled up blood as I kicked it off the sword. I stared at the sword as it lit in my palm. There was this...song calling to me from the sword, no not the sword, the red of the sword and I gasped as I threw the sword away from me. "Red Lyrium." I whispered as I looked from the sword to the two dead creatures next to me. My eyes traveled along the two dead humanoids noticing this sword like pattern on their chests like a chest plate. I stared at them and shook my head. _Templars? What the hell is happening?_ I moved away from them looking to my daggers which were being encased by the red lyrium in the Templars chest. I frowned as I looked around me and moved to the trade stand and leant over it looking for weapons. I slid a bow over my shoulder and grabbed a short sword and a dagger. There wasn't much left so looks as if this is what I had to work with. More came over the wall and I ran forward and the first red lyrium Templar I say I drove my blade through as hard as possible through its back. I ripped it out before it could get stuck and kicked it away. I bobbed and wove through Haven killing any that I came across. My hands sore from the cold and from my hands constantly grazing their coarse skin. I ground my teeth together as I ran at more, but for the most part it didn't appear that civilians were around when suddenly I heard a cry for help. My head twisted to the side and I bolted towards them. The tavern was on fire as I ran towards it, the cries for help inside. As I got closer I was met with a red lyrium Templar who fell from the entrance with an arrow in its forehead. I moved out of the way as it tumbled backwards and I moved through to catch a flash of blonde hair as more arrows sung into the red Lyrium Templars, but they weren't stopping. I killed two who were entering and kicked the beam next to the door to blockade it before twisting and running at the group of Templars. There were only three of them. I had this. I leapt towards them driving the blade quick and strong across their necks. These were different...more human… the last one however was the one tanking all arrows. I drove my blade through, but it shattered on touch. My eyes widened as it turned towards me and raised it's massive sword. I rolled and grabbed the red Lyrium sword from one of the dead Templars and drove it towards the crystalline creature. I peeked over at Sera who was staring at me with wide eyes.

"Sera, Go! Get them out of here!" I ordered and she nodded quickly, her mouth slack open.

"You 'eard the lady!" She yelled to them and they ran out. The Templar growled and drove his blade in further and I rolled to the side knowing I couldn't match it's strength. My eyes widened when it was suddenly on top of me again. _It's too fast._ It swiped at my arm and I felt it connect. Slicing through my skin like butter. I gasped in pain before jumping back again. The Templar moved after me with a predatory look on it's face.

"You can't run from me." It grumbled. It's voice horribly distorted and cruel. I was no match for it in regular sword fighting. It was stronger and faster and I was not that good at sword fighting. I looked for an escape, but everything was going up in flames, literally. Suddenly I saw it. I grinned and threw my dagger forward towards the ceiling and the chandelier. The Templar dodged it obviously and laughed. "You missed." The chandelier came crashing down and toppled just behind him making him stop. He turned towards it laughing at me, but I took advantage of this and ran forward driving the red Lyrium blade through its heart.

"Did I?" Its eyes were wide as I kicked my blade free and ran towards the window which was the only thing not on fire at this point and vaulted out of it. The glass shattered as I broke through it and dropped down into the snow. I ran towards where Sera had gone and saw Templars had surrounded her again just in front of the Chantry. I ran towards her, but as I did. I saw explosive arrows being fired and the faint sound of a trigger. I grinned. _Varric._ Sprinting towards them now I leapt on top of the Templar closest to me as a group came towards them and drove the Lyrium blade through it's head. I yanked it free and kicked the second Templar in the legs and as he fell I drove the blade through its neck. I kept on my war path till the last one. I was about to drive my blade through it when a bolt sung by and blasted it into bits. My eyes widened and I looked over towards Varric and him at me as he pointed Bianca towards my heart. I raised my hands as he kept it pointed.

"Who the hell are you?" He asked in his usual tone, except I noticed exhaustion in it now. _Maker how long had they been fighting?_ I pulled away my hood as Sera stepped forward.

"That's-"

"It's me, Varric." I called out and I noticed his arms stiffen and unstiffen with shock.

"Angel?" He asked and I nodded. Bianca bounced for a moment before he slung her over his shoulder and moved to me. I got down on my knees and hugged him as he hugged me back. "We thought you were dead." He said as he hugged me. "Everyone who went to the castle…" I frowned as I looked beyond him to the doors of the Chantry.

"I'll make this right. I'll save you all, I swear it." I whispered and he nodded as I stood. He smirked at me with watery eyes.

"Well then count me in." He said as I heard a group of people running up behind us.

"Go! Through that door! The Chantry is the only safe place left in Haven!" A voice commanded and I turned to see Rylen moving closer, but when his eyes scanned over me and he paused. "W-what?" He stumbled and I frowned, nodding to him. "How are you...here?" He chose his words carefully.

"I'm not sure and we don't have time. We need to figure out how to stop the Templars." I said and he nodded as he looked to his men then back to me.

"Lady Protector. Come with me." He said and I nodded as I walked forward towards the Chantry with him. "Men, stay with Master Tethras and keep those Templars off of this Chantry!" He ordered and they nodded as they got into a formation around Varric. We walked into the Chantry and instantly I noticed the panic in the air. So thick and palpable I nearly choked on it. Everyone wreaked of fear and blood and ash as they scurried about holding onto their loved ones. People we're falling onto their knees praying for salvation from the Maker. Praying for their loves and lives. Suddenly though, they stopped as we walked through. All eyes turned towards me. Wide eyes that once wanted to slit my throat now looked at me if I were their last hope. It unnerved me. My eyes searched the people for my companions, but I didn't see any of them. Rylen led me through the people and we stopped when I saw Leli and Josephine pacing back and forth. Leli was ordering agents while Josephine scribbled mercilessly.

"Leli." I breathed and I wasn't sure how she heard it, but she turned as if sensing my presence. Her eyes were wide and I smiled as we threw our arms around each other.

"You're back? How are you-?" She stopped and shook her head as she hugged me. "Nevermind, thank the Maker you're back. He has sent you to us to save us." She whispered and I hugged her tightly.

"I'll do whatever I can." I promised and she smiled, but it quickly faded. The fear and worry about what was going to happen overwhelming her. Josephine walked up and hugged me as well.

"My Lady, we thought you were dead." She said and I nodded.

"I know, but I'm here. I don't know how, but I am." I said as I looked to them. "Tell me you have a plan." I pleaded and they looked to each other.

"The Commander is already seeing it through." She said, but I noticed the looks of depression on their faces.

"The-Cullen? He's alive? Where is he?" I asked and she frowned up at me.

"There's no stopping this force, but we can help us anyone else that these monsters attack by taking a large sum of them out. We won't survive this, but...maybe we can help others survive." Josie murmured and it clicked in my head what they were doing.

"The trebuchets…" I whispered. _Maker had I just missed them? I was over there and I saw no one._ "No! There has to be another way!" I argued, but they shook their head.

"There isn't Quinn. We are trapped." Leli responded, but I couldn't accept that.

"I have to stop him." I said, hearing them voice their arguments behind me as I turned, but was stopped by a boy with a giant hat.

"So many lives. Lives I damned. I can't let him do this. I must-" He stopped and I stared at him. "I am Cole. I warned them about the attack, but it was too late. I can help." He said and looked towards Chancellor Roderick. The Chancellor was pale and barely able to stand. His hand clutching a wound. "He is going to die, but you don't mind that." He said sounding somewhat sad. "He knows a way through. A tunnel hidden for centuries, but he took it."

"Why are you telling this now? These people would have been out already!" I growled, but he didn't seem fazed.

"No one would listen to me. Everyone wanted to die. For the cause, but there was no cause. No hope, but you. You brought hope. They will listen now." He explained and I nodded with a grimace on my face.

"Leli, Josephine, round up the people and get them through this...tunnel. I will stop Cullen or at least hold him off for as long as possible." I said and moved close to the boy.

"Cole. I am trusting you. If you betray us there is no where you can hide from me." He looked over at me with his cerulean blue eyes.

"I just want to help." He responded honestly, his eyes holding no lie in them. I nodded and gave him the only smile I could muster which was barely a flicker. I moved to the front of the Chantry seeing Madame Vivienne look towards me.

"I am coming with you." She said, but I shook my head.

"You need to get out of here with the rest, Madame de Fer. I can do this alone." I said, but she shook her head.

"As now as that is, there are more out there than you can take being just one person. I can aid you and I will." She said and I sighed, but nodded.

"Well then, come on. We don't have much time."

"Agreed." With that we were off and heading into the heart of battle. I needed to find Cullen and quick. Varric looked to us as we left and then to the soldiers.

"I'm coming with you too."

"No, Varric, you need to help protect the Chantry. Sera, here." I called out as I tossed her the quiver I'd snagged full of arrows. She moved forward towards me.

"They only need one archer. I'm not gonna let you come back to life and die in the same day." She said and I nodded as I looked back at my old friend and threw a two fingered salute at him.

"Lady Protector! Wait!" Rylen called and I spun to see Rylen running towards us. "I'm coming with you as well!"

"You must stay here. If-if anything should happen to Cullen you are the Commander. We cannot have you dead as well."

"He's my friend. I'm not going to sit back in safety while he is out there." He argued and I sighed before nodding.

"Fine." I turned and we ran forward. As we moved down the staircase red Lyrium Templars moved towards us. Three in the front and a tall one in the back. Their shields at the ready as they snarled at us. I heard the sound like a loud heart beat surround me as I ran in and noticed myself illuminated with blueish white energy. I leapt onto the Templar in the front and drove the blade through the side of its neck as it fought to get me off. Rylen ran up and blocked the attack from the other Templar as I leapt towards the third Templar. He backed away slicing his blade towards me barely nicking my shoulder, but I felt no pain as the bluish light flickered. _A shield._ I grinned and kicked the Templars legs out and flipped on top of him driving my blade deep into his chest. I yanked it free as the tall Templar walked towards me. His armor bulkier than the others as he swung his blade towards me. Suddenly an arrow flew past me and embedded in its eye making it back away with a scream. Not wasting a moment, my blade drove through its chest eliciting crunches and crackles of bone and crystal. I let out a deep breath as Rylen finished off the last. I heard a shout and I spun when I heard footsteps just behind me. My blade rose to stop the incoming one as ice spread from the ground up. The blade came closer, but the ice was faster and I stared wide eyed as the bladed figure whose blade was mere inches from my heart. I drove my blade through it and the ice crumbled. I looked to Vivienne with an appreciative look. She nodded back and we turned, off once again looking for the Commander. We made it down the stairs and a soldier ran up, but stripped.

"Help me! Help me, please!" He cried and we ran forward. Just after the soldier there were two Templars with their swords at the ready. In moments the two were dead and the soldier thanked us profusely. "Y-Lady Protector! We thought-" I nodded, agitated that he was standing awestruck instead of running. "You have to help the Commander! He's pinned down! There's too many! We were trying to get the trebuchets to fire, but he's overrun!" My heart beat picked up in my chest. Rylen stepped forward.

"This way!" He yelled and I ran after him as we ran from Havens gates and towards the horde of Red Lyrium Templars. I got ready for the fight as we ran forward and sure enough we found it. The very last trebuchet pointed at the mountain to the left of us was almost in place. My eyes widened as I saw Cullen. His furry mantle glistening with blood and a helm with the face of a lion reflecting the green of the Breach. My eyes widened as I ran forward. There were too many and he wasn't retreating! I had to save him! I sprinted passing Rylen and heading straight into the fight as Cullen continued to yank on the wheel of the trebuchet. I drove the blade through the first Templar I saw and then the next as I fought a path to him. I cried out his name, but he wouldn't turn. I caught sight of him getting the trebuchet almost in place. Soldiers in formation around him, but they were going down like flies. I took one of the hand bombs from my pocket and rolled it into the crowd of Red Lyrium Templars before driving a blade through a Templar that got too close. The bomb went off and the blew Templars from my path. Pieces of their crystalline skin flying past me and embedding in other Templars. I ran forward towards him. My heart in my throat as I killed as many creatures as I saw. Cullen turned at the sound of the explosion, his eyes finding me immediately. He was stalk still for a moment, his shock apparent. I felt a smile come to my lips, but quickly fought off another Templar. I ran to him and was almost there when a massive Templar stepped in between me and him. My eyes widened as I backed away and got ready to fight. I leapt away from his attack, and tried to counter it, but my blade barely sliced him. Just beyond the massive creature I saw the last of Cullen's soldiers go down. Red Lyrium Templars crowding him. I gasped as I fought to get past the massive creature, but it slung me onto my back and placed it's massive foot on me. I gasped in pain and fright as my eyes went from the massive Templars sword being aimed at my forehead and Cullen as he tried to fight off as many Templars as possible. The Templar got ready to drive his blade home when I drove my blade into his ankle. He let out a scream of pain and anger as he backed away stumbling before running at me again. I rolled out of the way, but the Templar pivoted and punched me in the gut. I gasped for air as it grabbed me by my shirt and lifted me up holding it's blade towards me. I gripped onto his hand trying to claw myself free, but to no avail. It was about to drive it through my heart when suddenly a blade pierced through its skull from the side. My eyes widened as I looked over and Cullen stood slightly bent over from the throw still atop of the platform of the trebuchet. The Templar slowly died in front of me, but its grip was still firm as I tried to get free. I had a view of Cullen looking to me, he'd killed himself to save me.

"NOOOO!" I screamed as multiple Templars drove their swords through him. "CULLEN!" My heart felt like it had been ripped out of my chest as I tore myself from the Templars grasp. My shirt ripping and cloak still in its clutches. I ran forward, anger and pain fueling my movements as I sliced through Templar after Templar. Laughs raised into the air as they mocked him. _I would kill them all._ I ran forward with a speed I didn't know, my blade slicing through them as if they were nothing. _They were nothing._ I destroyed them. Every one of them that were near him and looked down at him. My heart breaking as I sunk down to my knees. Tears stung my eyes as my hand ran over his furry mantle. Maker, please no. I felt a sob in my throat as I pulled away the helm and gasped.

"Blackwall?" I gasped and he choked for a moment before nodding.

"I-I didn't think I'd be seeing you again." He admitted with a short smile. Blood coated his teeth as he coughed up blood.

"Why-?"

"He would never get a shot at getting to the trebuchet unless he had a diversion. I came up with the plan-" he coughed "-fairly ingenious." He grunted. I felt a small smile to my lips as like let out a laugh. Tears falling from my cheeks.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, this never should have happened." I whispered and he clutched my hand something in between.

"You're here now. That's what matters." He choked and let out a ragged breath. "You have to go-" He wheezed, "There's more coming."

"My Lady, we have to leave." Rylen said as he touched my shoulder. I hadn't even realized he was there.

"I won't leave him." I stated adamantly as Blackwall wheezed. "Help me carry him back. He doesn't deserve to die in a place like this." I ordered as more and more Templars came towards us.

"No, M'Lady. Leave me. I'm already dead. Just go!" He ordered me and I felt the chill of dread and the fire of anger spread through my body simultaneously. He let out a raspy breath before it shuddered to a stop.

"I'm sorry.." I whispered and kissed his cheek as tears fell onto his skin. "Thank you, my friend." I slid the helmet back on him as Rylen grabbed ahold of me.

"Quinn, the other trebuchet! Look!" My eyes flicked to the trebuchet barely peeking over the walls. The same wall that I'd crossed when I got here. My eyes went to the horde of Templars running towards us and he pulled me back. They ran along the wall, but I ran up it vaulting over the top. I scanned the area for Cullen, but didn't see him. There were barely any soldiers left. Maybe 12 against a horde and now that Blackwall was dead all those Templars would be coming right for us. There were far less Red Lyrium Templars now though and these I could manage. I attacked multiple of the red Lyrium Templar creatures. My blades spilling blood and staining the snow beneath my boots. More and more kept coming over the wall though as the horde came upon us. I saw a soldier at the trebuchet turning it and ran towards him and my mind instantly went to Cullen. I grabbed him when I got there and turned him to me, but it wasn't him. He stared at me in shock as he clutched the trebuchet in both hands.

"Where is the Commander?!" I asked and he shook his head startled.

"I-I don't know! He was down with the other trebuchets! Told me to get this one in position ma'am!" He cried as I looked around for him. Maker where was he?! The soldier stared at me. "Y-you're the Lady Protector! But you were…"

"Dead, yeah I know. I'm being told that a lot today." I responded. "We need to retreat! If we stay here much longer we'll be overrun by that hord-" Suddenly an arrow flew past me and embedded in his heart. My eyes widened as his did and he fell onto the ground in front of me. I hid behind the wheel as another arrow sung towards me. Looking down at the dagger in my palm I let out three short breaths before I rolled to the side to dodged an arrow, launching my dagger towards the archer. With perfect accuracy the archer fell backwards with a blade in its skull. I looked to dead soldier and then to another soldier. I grabbed his shoulder. "Call the retreat! We must leave now!" I ordered and he looked to the men around him yelling for us to retreat. We fought back the Templars to the best of our ability, but there were too many. We turned to get out when suddenly in front of us a huge red hand-like club, bigger than most houses in a carriage, swung through the wooden wall. The soldier to my left threw me forward and I gasped as I tumbled into the snow and when I looked back he and the soldier next to him were hidden under the hand-like club. I backed away, with wide eyes as I stared at the monster as it broke through the remainder of the wall. What was left of the group backed away on the other side of it. The Templars behind them and this monstrous thing in front of them boxing then in. I was frozen for a moment as I realized they were going to die. I only had a sword left and with it I swiped it at the legs of the gigantic Lyrium monster, but it barely noticed I was there.

"Lady Protector, run! We'll hold them off as long as possible!" My eyes were wide as I looked to the soldier in front as he nodded. "Go!" I shook my head as more attacked. The soldiers defended against the blows but they were being slaughtered.

"Go! Now!" Another soldier called and I turned and ran. I tried to ignore their screams of pain as they died, but I knew the sound would echo in my mind for days to come. If I survived this, that is. I ran for the Chantry knowing that the horde would be headed for it next. We were barely able to defend it before. It would be destroyed when the horde got there. We needed to get everyone out. I turned the corner and suddenly I was rammed. I gasped as my head cracked against the boulder next to me. I gasped in pain as the Templar that had rammed me grabbed my shirt and smacked my head against the boulder again. I wobbled as the sword fell from my hand. He laughed at me as I fell to my hands and knees. The pain in my head making it throb.

"Get up, Bitch!" He yelled and I felt a snarl cross my lips before my foot snapped out and swept his leg. He tumbled onto the ground and I swung myself around and punched him in the face. I kept punching, blood from his nose and lips oozing out his wounds. He groaned before I took a knife from his belt and drove it through soft skin of his chin. I stood and leant against the wall heaving breaths as my head throbbed. As I leant against the boulder a Templar took notice of me and grinned. Random lumps of sharp crystals jutting out from his body and stretching the skin. I groaned in annoyance looking for the sword that the other Templar had, but didn't have time. This Templar ran at me and I twisted to the side as he tried to run his sword through me. I kicked the side of his leg, but yelped in pain when I felt the crystals slice through my pants and skin. I grabbed the monster quickly by its neck and drove it into the boulders behind me. Blood splattered as crystals shattered and fell from its head. I snarled as I kept bashing its head against the rock until he stopped moving. I wobbled and leant against the same rock, but heard shouting that made my ears perk up. I grabbed the dead Templars blade and hooked it around my waist and scaled the rocks and ran along the rocky parts of Haven. I ran towards the shouts and the sounds of battle. My eyes scanned the ground beneath me to see Templars moving across the blood stained snow towards the Chantry. I kept running until I spotted Rylen running with a soldier. My eyes scanned the area and I saw Vivienne a ways ahead, but Sera was missing. They were outnumbered and being surrounded as Templars moved in front of Vivienne. She gasped as she fell to the ground. A Templar in front of her holding his hand towards her form and glowing a bright red. I felt the impact of the silence where I stood. The silencing magic of the Templar in the air choking any magical energy. I felt my palm thrum, the magic flickering like a flame in the wind. I looked down and saw a dead archer just by my feet. His bow still clutched in his dead fingers. I tore it from his palm and grabbed his quiver slinging it over my shoulder. Six arrows were left in the quiver, six shots I have to make worth it. I heard Rylen shout for Vivienne as I notched an arrow and released. The arrow found its mark in the Templars neck who had been approaching Vivienne. 5 arrows left. I notched another arrow as another came after her, but no sooner had it made in her direction had it fallen to the ground with my arrow through its skull. I grimaced as I pulled out my third arrow and notched it. Rylen shouted in pain as I fired the arrow towards another Templar advancing on Vivienne and it hit it in the close to its heart. I twisted at hearing the cry of pain to see a Templar about to drive his blade through Rylen. It was well armored around its neck and head. Too well armored for an arrow to pierce. My bow moved slightly up and I released. The arrow lodged through the Templars hands and he dropped the blade in shock and pain. My notched another to finish off the Templar, but the soldier to the left of Rylen took care of it. The soldier's eyes went from the arrow in the Templars hands to me. Rylen looked to me with a relieved nod as he leant on the shoulder of the soldier who was still staring at me. Vivienne stood wobbly and drained looking. Another Templar moved towards Vivienne, his palm outstretched towards her, a silence zapping the air of magic. Vivienne let out a quiet cry of pain as the silence rolled over her. I reached into the quiver, but my fingers grasped nothing. I slung the bow across my shoulder and pulled the sword as I leapt down and drove my blade through the Templars skull. I felt the silence stop as the Templar and I hit the ground. Vivienne lay on the ground wheezing for air. More approached her and any that stepped closer were cut down by my blade. The Templars dropped around us as the soldier and Rylen moved in closer. The soldier defending as best as he could.

"Vivienne are you alright?" I asked as I held my blade at the ready. She groaned.

"I'm alright, my dear. Thank you." She called out as she wobbled to a standing position. I placed my hand on her shoulder to check on her condition before looking around. The Templars were dead around us and more were coming through, but we'd stunted them for the moment. I needed to take a moment to catch my breath anyway. My head pounding angrily from the impact from being thrown. I tried to ease the pain as I looked to Rylen.

"Rylen! I went to the trebuchet, but it's been overrun. I couldn't find him." I called out as the soldier stood stalk still. Rylen walked towards me. "Help Madame Vivienne back to the Chantry. Where's Sera?" I asked as I stared at him. He shook his head.

"We got separated." He stated as the soldier moved forward.

"Get Rylen to the Chantry." I stated as I squared my shoulders at him. "I will go find Sera and Cullen." The soldier nodded and pulled Rylen's arm around the back of his neck and pulled him along.

"My Lady it's too dangerous! He will be going to the Chantry, I know it." Rylen protested.

"I don't know that and neither do you. What if he's out there?" I questioned and he frowned.

"He is at the Chantry. I'm sure of it, please. Trust me on this." He pleaded as he looked up at me. I frowned as I looked in between where the horde was and Rylen. "If he's not there then go, but I don't want you running into danger without eliminating the safer possibility." He advised and I frowned for a moment before nodding.

"Fine." I stated, "But, what about Sera?" I asked and he closed his eyes.

"I pray she is there as well." He murmured. I looked to Vivienne and pulled her arm over my shoulder. She thanked me quietly as we hobbled forward, but from behind me I heard a shout. I turned as a Templar drive his sword forward and I had little time to react. I shoved Vivienne off as the blade drove in. I heard two separate cries of my name as the blade moved between my arm and side, slicing through the already torn shirt and blooming red with my blood. The Templar laughed, but paused as I grabbed the blade and kicked him away. He stumbled and I took advantage of it bringing the blade forward and cutting its throat. I let it swing back as I heard cries around me again. I grabbed Vivienne and called to Rylen and the soldier.

"Move!" We were almost to the Chantry as more Templars came, cutting us off. I gasped as an explosion went off to my right, a Templars body scattering into bits from the impact. The explosion shook the ground sending Vivienne to the ground and me down with her. I scrambled to try and get her up as a Templar attacked us. I held the blade up as it brought its own down. The blades sparking as they met. I pushed her to move out of the way and she scrambled to her feet. Magic crackling in the air as the Templar pushing on my blade suddenly froze from the ground up. I growled as it completely froze and I drove my blade through its chest. As the blade lodged in its chest I rolled away as the iced Templar crumbled I looked towards Vivienne. Her magic was swirling around her as she threw shards of ice towards the Templars. I turned as another Templar ran at Rylen and I lobbed off it's head in one swing of the sword, its body falling to the ground a few feet from him. My arms were starting to sting from the weight of it as another Templar approached. I swung the sword, but it counter attacked and disarmed me. I backed away bringing the bow from my back and using the metal hand guard to stop the blade before swing it around and smacking him in the face with the wooden end. Another Templar came up as the other recovered and I snarled at it as I blocked an attack attempting at the same attack, but it dodged and brought it's fist around and caught me in my chin sending me sprawling. I grunted in pain as I turned onto my side trying to get away from them, searching for a weapon when the Templar grabbed my foot. I tried to kick it off as it held up it's blade towards my chest and drove it home. My eyes were wide as I stared at the blade suddenly bounce off sending the Templar back a few steps. An aura flowed over me as the other Templar hacked at it making me flinch. _A shield?_ I looked over towards Vivienne who nodded at me when suddenly a Templar came up behind her. I gasped as I scrambled to my feet, but the impact of something hitting the shield sent me back to the ground. "Vivienne!" I cried, but it was too late. The blade stuck out of her chest. I let out a strangled cry as I was suddenly kicked in the side.

"Puny woman. Perhaps I'll have some fun with you before I kill you!" He kicked me again making me taste blood. He laughed as I tried to crawl away. To my right I saw a small knife and I grabbed for it, but I was dragged backwards and grabbed by my hair. "My, my you are fiesty, pretty girl." He said in my ear. I growled, but whimpered as he yanked. "That's right, good lil' bitch." He chuckled and tossed my away onto a dead Templar. I gasped in pain splintered through my body. The Templar was walking towards me, his feet making the ground rumble around me. My own heartbeat nearly drowning out the sounds of battle, but not his malicious laugh. _I'm going to die here._ My mind whispered in horror. Desperation kicked in and I snarled as I looked to the crystals sticking out of the dead Templars shoulder and grabbed it. The crystals around it were sharp and cut my hand as I yanked on it. The Templar grabbed my hair again yanking me backwards as I broke it free and held it in my palm. He turned me and grabbed my face in its massive hand. "Beg for me, bitch." He growled. I spit in its face and brought my knee to its groin. It grunted in pain as it doubled over and I snarled as I brought the crystal down and into its neck. My legs were shaky as I forced myself not to breathe too deeply. My abdomen screaming in pain from the beating I'd taken moments ago. I placed my hand on my stomach as I hobbled forward passing Vivienne's body. I wanted to stop, Maker knows I didn't want to leave her here. For these monsters to trod over as if she were nothing. More Templars were coming though and I was in no state to stop and carry her. _I'm sorry, Vivienne._ I had to make it to the Chantry. Rylen shoved a Templar away before falling from the wound in his leg. I moved towards him when suddenly my foot was grabbed and the Templar with the crystal in its neck yanked me towards it. I gasped as I tried to kick myself free. My heel stomping on its face as it reached up with its other hand.

"Get off me!" I cried as I continued to kick the monstrous thing. It's hands were sharp and crystalline scraping against my skin. My abdomen burned as the Templar dragged me back towards it over rocks as I tried to claw at the ground to stop myself. Suddenly I heard a cry of anger and a blade came from seemingly nowhere and drove through the skull of the Templar. I scrambled away from its now dead hand as it released my foot. My eyes went from the blade up as the owner got down in front of me. I was so shaken I grabbed the first thing I could find and readied it, but paused. For a moment I forgot about the violence and the horrors around us.

"Cullen." I breathed. His hair was flopping onto his forehead caked with dirt and blood. His eyes wide and golden, lips slightly parted. A different type of armor than his usual that was smeared with blood, dirt and soot. He didn't say anything, but his hand outstretched shakily pushing my hair aside so that he could see my full face. His fingers barely grazed my skin. He heard something I didn't and suddenly he pulled me into his chest holding me close. Before I could say anything we took off. His arms holding me tightly against his chest. Rylen and the soldier ran next to us, Rylen still hobbling from his wound. We got to the Chantry and the doors opened wide for us before closing almost immediately. Cullen set me down gently on the ground, calling over a healer as he moved my hand aside to look at the wound on my hip. I grimaced as he peeled away the cloth of my shirt from it. He let out a quiet sigh of relief as reached into a pack on the backside of his hip and pulled out bandages. His fingers touched the edge of my shirt and paused.

"I need to wrap your wound." He said, not looking at me. I groaned and wiggled my shirt free pulling my shirt up enough for him to see the wound. He kept his eyes on the wound as I leant my body upwards towards him as he pulled the bandages around my waist before tucking the ends into the fold to keep it place. "I thought I'd never see you again…" He murmured to me. His voice was so quiet, so unsure of what to say. I didn't exactly expect us to be running into each other's arms, but he seemed so...sad.

"I thought the same." I replied quietly as he pulled my shirt back down. His eyes wandered for a moment around the room.

"Are there no blasted healers they can spare?" He asked, his voice urgent and angry. I touched his arm.

"I'll be fine. There are people in far worse condition than I that they need to attend to." I stated as I looked over and saw Rylen being looked after by a woman in bloody clothing. He looked from Rylen back to me. I noticed Leliana as she jogged over. Adan on her heels, stopping just in front of us.

"Makers balls. Is that-?" He didn't get to finish as Cullen swiped the potion from him not unkindly. He tilted it against my lips and I drank it. The elfroot soothing me as it went down. I could feel it faintly fixing things in my body and thanked him. He couldn't take his eyes off of me as he stayed close. His hand came up and he gently wiped away the blood and some dirt from my face.

"Leli, you need to get those people through the escape. There's a horde of Templars heading here right now. They'll kill everyone here." She closed her eyes before looking back to the people that were already pushing through the escape.

"How much time?" She asked and I frowned.

"Maybe ten minutes." I replied. "If we can get everyone through we can destroy the entrance. We can all get out of this." I told her as I pushed myself up. Cullen protested as I slid up the wall and leant against it as he grabbed my arm to steady me. I placed a hand on her shoulder noticing a faint smile come to her lips.

"Being optimistic now? Better late than never." She replied with a sad smile. I closed my eyes and grimaced.

"Go. Get yourself and Josephine out of here. I will help guard the front-"

"No. You're injured. You need to get out with the others." Cullen insisted. His eyes on me with a stern gaze.

"I will be fine. We'll all die if those Templars get through." I replied adamantly. "These people need as many bodies as possible stopping those...things." I argued before nodding to Leliana. "Go. Get everyone out." I frowned as she pulled me into a hug.

"You had better make it out." She whispered before letting me go. "Here, when you-when we thought you were dead. I had your things put away." She said as she held my mother's hidden blades up to me. "If these are what I think they are, these blades should be able to pierce through the Red Templars flesh." She explained and I nodded mutely as she looked to Josephine and they moved through the line of people. My eyes drifted down to the bladed gauntlets in her palms. I could feel the magic in them. It was calling to me, whispers from the shadows for me to put them on. I let out a breath and looked down at the gauntlets before shaking my head. They weren't just weapons. They were symbols of my past life. A life that I fought so hard to be free of. I couldn't. No I wouldn't go back to that even if it meant death.

"I don't need these." I replied and she nodded mutely.

"Be safe, my friend." She whispered and turned from me. I turned from her as well and moved towards the front of the Chantry. Cullen who was staring at me with impatience drew my attention as he grabbed my arm.

"You need to leave. You are injured, if you go out there it's little better than suicide." He said in a hushed growl of irritation. I glared up at him.

"Does it matter what it is, Cullen?" His eyes were burning through me with intensity. "I'm staying, right here." Maker, I didn't want to fight with him right now.

"Not if I throw you over my shoulder and make you." He threatened and it brought a smile to my lips as I touched his hand on my arm and gently ran my thumb over his knuckles.

"This is my choice, Cullen." I replied quietly noticing him soften just a fraction as his hand eased on my arm. "I am one of the best fighters you've got at your disposal, and you know that."

"One of the most valuable as well." He retorted obviously unhappy with my choice. He looked so distant as he looked past me, his hand still holding me in place. "I wish you hadn't come back." He replied quietly staring at the door as if trapped in his own thoughts for the short moment. I felt a pang of hurt in my heart from his words, but when I saw the hopeless expression on his face...I knew why he said it and if it were me in his position I'd feel the same way. "Not now-not when…" He trailed off as he dropped his head looking angry with himself. His eyes moved down to me for a moment. "I can't-" I slipped my hand into his palm and brought it to my lips.

"It'll be alright." I promised as I looked towards the door with him the pain in my abdomen subsiding. Now all I had was this uneasy feeling for the upcoming battle. "We'll make it out of this." I added mostly to myself trying to erase this unabated fear that he would be killed. _No, no I would protect him. I would make sure he got out of this alive._ My eyes lifting to him for a moment as he looked down at me. _Even if I didn't._

"No matter what, promise me you will stay close." I nodded myself out of my thoughts and gave him a short smile noticing him try to give me one back as well.

"I promise." We said nothing else as we turned moved towards the front doors of the Chantry. The soldiers in front of us pushed at the doors and I felt the cool blast of wind break through bringing the sounds and smells of battle as well as sparking my blood buzzed adrenaline and terror for this battle. _We just needed to hold them off. Enough for those people to get through._

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 _Thanks for reading guys! If you want, leave a comment to tell me how you like my story so far._


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